The Zoo
by WannaPlayKevinBacon
Summary: Muggles like putting exotic things in zoos and staring at them through the glass. Are wizards and witches any exception? A fic about the ugly things that Muggles do, has very little, if any, spoilers. Rated T for violence and some disturbing themes.
1. Phasma Letum

Update: Hello everyone! I'm currently reworking the Zoo! It was started waaaay back in the day before I'd seen the fifth movie or read any book past the fourth. Voldy was back and Horcruxes hadn't even been mentioned. I've worked through to The Window over the course of four years and more without really changing the Zoo at all. I've learned a lot as a Potter fan and as a writer, and it's time the Zoo got the upgrade it deserves as one of the only stories I've ever "finished" though it is part of a trilogy. If a chapter has an "Update" announcement then it's been updated. I don't plan to edit plot or anything, just word choice and a few details here and there, hopefully making it a decent read OR reread.

* * *

George Weasley winced as he rolled onto his side; he could remember having a terrible dream, shadowy figures and a pain in his chest. He sat up slowly and looked around, squinting as his eyes adjusted, "Fred? Hey, Fred! Where are you?"

George stood and dusted himself off, finding himself in his pajamas and socks; he was outside, or in some sort of cave, and it was freezing. Shivering, he continued to call for his brother; "George!" a voice called through the haze

George spun around and ran to his brother who lay in the snow, blood long since dry mapped an ugly pattern down his face, "Fred what happened to you?!"

"Bloody bastards came in and hit me!" Fred muttered, "I saw them carrying you out, George and I tried to hex them but they hit me with something and I'm afraid I dropped my wand."

George couldn't help but laugh slightly as he inspected the wound on his brother's forehead, "I don't have mine on me either. They got you good."

"Where are we?" Fred asked, standing up and wrapping his arms around himself, "Its bloody freezing!"

"We're in a cave, but other than that I don't know. We should find someone to ask." George said, scanning the white world for a sign of life. He squinted and pointed, "Look there's a group of people there." He nudged Fred and walked off in the direction he had pointed.

"Muggle people." Fred muttered as he followed, "I don't think they'll be much help," Fred trailed off as George stopped walking, "What is it? Why'd you stop?"

George looked at Fred for one long moment, looking lost, before pressing his hands to the large sheet of glass, completely transparent, that divided them from the group of people, "What is this?" George whispered, dropping his usually calm demeanor.

"It's glass, George." Fred replied, "Look."

George followed his brother's gaze to a sign that stood between the glass and the group of people at an angle, "Teenage Wizards?"

The twins looked at each other in confusion as the people outside the glass stared.

* * *

"RON!" Harry cried as he ran to his friend, "You're alright!"

"I wasn't outside when I fell asleep, Harry." Ron replied, "Were you?"

"No." Harry said tolerantly, looking around, "I definitely wasn't wearing robes."

Ron shrugged, "Well let's figure out where we are; that's the best way to figure out where we want to be."

Harry checked his pockets and looked up at Ron, "Do you have your wand on you?"

Ron dug through his pockets and shook his head, "No, I guess I lost it. Mum's going to kill me."

Harry smiled slightly, "Come on let's just find out where we are."

"It certainly feels warmer than I remember." Ron observed, "Look there's a bunch of Muggles! They can tell us where we are!"

Ron pulled his robes over his head and abandoned them, running across the large grass field towards the crowd; Harry let his eyes trace the path to the people and his mouth fell open, "RON STOP!"

Ron skidded to a stop just as he went over the strange sloping edge of the hill; he grabbed handfuls of the earth to stop himself from falling into the narrow thirty-foot chasm that opened up suddenly just before another piece of land and a short fence. Harry was at his side instantly, pulling him up, "I'm fine." Ron muttered, embarrassed; when they turned back to the group of Muggles on the other side of the chasm, they were all staring, "Can you tell us where we are?!" Ron called.

The Muggles stared at them dully, and a few teenage boys out in front sniggered, "Please!" Harry called over to the crowd politely.

"Harry…"

"Can you tell us-" Harry started.

"Harry!" Ron said firmly, nudging his friend.

Harry adjusted his glasses, "What?!" he demanded.

Ron pointed across a sidewalk behind the Muggles, George and Fred stood pressed against a great wall of their glass encasement, false rock and snow making it look like a cave's mouth. Harry stared wide-eyed until the twins stumbled away from the glass and back into the invisibility of the cave, "That was Fred and George." Ron whispered, "They're trapped here just like we are. Where are we, Harry?"

Harry hesitated, "Come on… let's get back up the hill."

* * *

George frowned with concern as he looked at Fred, pressed against the glass and shivering violently as his lips turned blue, "We have to get somewhere warm."

"It's warm out there George." Fred muttered, staring out past the glass at the Muggles that stared back.

George wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders and led him gently away from the glass, flinching at the pain in his frozen feet, "There has to be a way to get out of the snow."

Fred let out one shaky steamy breath before collapsing against his brother, "F-freezing." he whispered.

George grunted as he lifted his brother from the ground, "Its alright." he muttered, "We'll find somewhere."

George carried Fred with some difficulty through the snow until he saw a small crawlspace in the cave's stone wall; he set Fred down and crawled into the hole, pulling his brother after him. After George's eyes adjusted he saw a small pile of blankets at the far corner of what appeared to be a prison-like barred cell. He grabbed the blankets and shook them open, tossing one over Fred, "I'm alright now." Fred muttered almost silently as he pulled the blanket more around himself, "W-where are we now!"

George threw his own blanket over his brother and shook his head, "I don't know; I just saw the hole. It's some kind of cage, though."

"A warm cage," Fred muttered.

"George?" a quiet voice called from somewhere in the larger area of the room.

George blinked in the darkness and he saw his mother in another cell not far from theirs, "Mum?"

"Arthur! The boys are here!" Molly cried, and George's father came into view, sporting an ugly black eye.

"What happened to your eye Dad?" George asked, moving closer and pressing his face to the cold steel bars.

"He fought them; where's Fred?" Molly asked warily.

"He's with me." George assured, "He's fine Mum. What is this place?"

"To the best of my knowledge we're in a zoo." Arthur replied, "It's a place that Muggles keep animals so they can gawk at them."

"But why are we here then?" George asked desperately.

Arthur was quiet for a moment, "It seems like as far as they're concerned, Wizards and Witches are animals."

"I didn't think they knew we existed." George said.

"They didn't." Arthur answered, "I'm not sure what has happened, but the best thing to do for now is just stay inside."

George nodded in the darkness, "Alright… how long do you think we'll be here before someone comes for us?"

Arthur and Molly were both silent for some time, "Not long, dear." Molly assured, but it sounded terribly forced, "Not long at all."

* * *

A/N: Any feedback welcome! Thanks for reading!


	2. Animadverto Rutilus

"It's not safe here." Ron said as he shook his head quickly, "It's… wrong… sounds wrong, _smells_ wrong… We're not-"

"Don't be silly." Harry dismissed, mostly to comfort Ron, "We're going to be _fine_. Everything's fine."

Ron nearly jumped onto Harry when one of the false iron gates surrounding their strange enclosure came to life, screeching open as a figure was pushed inside, then shutting; they remained upright for one trembling second before collapsing to the ground with an inhuman wail. Ron took a stumbling step back and pushed himself against the stone wall as his red hair fell into his eyes, "What is it, Harry?!"

Harry took a step towards the howling lump in the floor and knelt slowly, "Are you alright?"

The figure suddenly looked up; piles of frizzy curls parted and Hermione's tear-stained and dirt-smudged face greeted him, "Oh Harry." She whispered, "They killed him… he was just trying to help me… could have gotten away…"

"Who, Hermione?" Harry asked urgently, "Who did they… who was it?"

Hermione looked up, her wild eyes finding Ron and another wail sounded from her as she threw herself onto Harry; Ron kept his spot against the wall and slowly wrapped his arms around himself, on the verge of panic, "Oh Ron…" Hermione finally whispered, "Bill could have left… he came back for me, and they hit him."

"No." Ron muttered, looking up at Harry then back to Hermione.

"He fell." Hermione continued with words shaky and weepy.

"No!" Ron said firmly, turning away from them and taking a few steps before crossing his arms.

"There was blood."

"Hermione!" Harry scolded in a whisper.

Ron wheeled around, fire in his eyes as he stalked back to her, "STOP IT! JUST SHUT UP!"

"HE DIED FOR ME!" Hermione screeched back.

Ron grabbed Hermione and hauled her to her feet, gripping her biceps forcefully, "I SAID STOP IT!" he roared, bringing his hand across her cheek in a forceful slap that caused her head to snap to the side.

Harry stood quickly and put his hand on Ron's arm but the redhead jerked away, staring at his hand in disbelief before stumbling away; he went out into the sunlight and Harry saw him fall to his knees, silhouetted against the summer afternoon as an animalistic scream tore its way from his throat and he collapsed into bitter sobs. Hermione touched her hand to the red spot on her face, her eyes losing their wild lost quality, "Well then." She said quietly, "We had better figure out how to get out of here."

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George shivered slightly, wrapping his arms around himself as he watched over his brother; his parents had been removed from the area some time before, and now all was silent. His eyes had fully adjusted to the darkness and now he could survey the entire area; it was about thirty feet wide, sixty feet long, and held a half-dozen 'runs', small caged areas with thick bars like the one George and Fred occupied. A shaft of light streaked through the room as large steel doors at the opposite end opened slowly; five Muggles walked in, two men were carrying figures draped unconscious over their arms. George got up on his knees instantly and moved to the edge of his cage closest to them, "Oi! Who are you?! Let me out of here! My brother's sick and hurt; he needs help!"

The two men carrying what was now visibly two girls approached and lay the girls into the nearest cage, slamming the steel bars shut and securing the padlock; George's eyes widened as he recognized Angelina Johnsonand Katie Bell. A gentle-looking female Muggle walked over and knelt before George, "It's alright." She said, "You're still stressed from the move here."

George looked at her dumbfounded for a moment, "Get me out of here! My brother's hurt! _Where_ is my family?! Let us go!"

She placed her palm flat against the bars, careful not to touch him, "There there." She assured firmly, "We'll get you something to eat as soon as we've secured everyone here."

George scowled, "Can you not _hear_ me?! I AM SPEAKING-"

The gentle woman smiled as George fell silent; she held a dart gun in her hand, "I hate to do that but you're just too on edge." She said quietly.

"What did you do to me?" George muttered, barely able to get the words out as his vision blurred around the edges and he sat back to allow his head to clear, "What's happening?"

Angelina stirred just as George slowly fell to a lying position on his side, "George?" she whispered, her voice echoing as he slipped into unconsciousness.

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"Arthur?" Molly said quietly.

Arthur continued to stare at the Muggles through the glass while they gawked back at him, his arms crossed and his face one of contemplation, "Hm?" he replied wordlessly.

"Come and sit down, dear; don't acknowledge them." Molly begged, her robes spreading out around her as she seated herself on a chair.

Their 'display' appeared to be a large cross section of a house, though it wasn't functional, and everything was bolted down to prevent use of weapons; the thirty-foot drop at the edge of the display didn't make it feel as much like home as the Burrow, either. Arthur waved her off gently, "That's what they want, Molly, to see us in a natural setting."

"Arthur?"

"Hm?" Arthur repeated.

"I'm frightened." Molly said in a small voice.

Arthur turned and smiled at her gently, walking to sit beside her and take her hand, "I know; it's going to be alright."

"What about the children?" Molly said miserably, "We've only seen Fred and George... perhaps the others weren't taken. George looked alright, but Fred..."

"He's alright, Molly." Arthur assured, "He's a strong boy."

Molly jumped when a loud clang sounded somewhere behind them, "What was-"

Ginny rubbed her eyes as she stumbled out of a new opening in the display, "Ginerva!" Molly cried as she stood quickly, rushing to catch her daughter before she fell, "Are you alright, dear?"

Arthur left Molly's side when the remaining two Weasley children were shoved through the entrance, and it disappeared; Percy stood on his own while Arthur steadied Charlie, whom was more shaken, "Are you boys hurt?"

"I'm fine." Percy replied, "Charlie tried to fight them and they... they..." the boy struggled to remember for a moment, "_Shot_ him... is shot the word?"

Arthur nodded as he looked his eldest son over, "He's not injured." He said once he was satisfied, and he led Charlie to sit down on the warm grass, "What can you remember, Percy?"

"They came into my room through a window." Percy stated calmly, "I was sharing it with Charlie because we were both home on a visit--you know that much--they came in and he tried to fight them; after they gave him some sort of potion and carried him off they came after me. I didn't fight, so they let me stay awake."

"Where are Bill and Ronald?" Molly asked, cradling Ginny against her as the girl cried.

Percy's bowed his head slightly, "I haven't seen Ron, Mum." He said, "When they brought us in we saw Hermione, and Bill... He tried to fight them off so that she could escape."

Molly gasped, "Did they hurt him? What happened?"

"They caught him and... one of them hit him on the head with some sort of baton. There was a lot of blood and-"

"That's enough." Arthur interrupted for his wife's sake as Charlie groaned beside him, coming out of his stupor, "We're glad the three of you are alright."

"They're alright?" Molly whispered as she stood and walked to him, "They're not alright; we're all trapped here. One of my sons is dead, maybe _three_! WHERE ARE MY CHILDREN, ARTHUR?!"

Arthur caught her in a hug and held her as she began to sob, "I don't know Molly; I don't know."

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"Lucius? Lucius... Lucius!"  
Lucius Malfoy jumped as his wife's voice broke into his thoughts, "What is it?"

Narcissa sat beside her husband and linked her arm in his, "It's been five hours. Don't you think you should maybe _speak_ to Draco?"

Lucius frowned, "What could I tell him? I haven't the slightest clue why we're all here in the first place, much less how to _leave_."

"If he sees that you're confident he'll be alright." Narcissa assured.

Lucius looked into his wife's eyes and kissed her once softly, "Are _you_ alright?"

Narcissa nodded vaguely, looking over at the small group of boys standing a ways off, "Neither of their fathers is here..."

"Their fathers are dead." Lucius muttered, "I saw those damned Muggles do it."

Narcissa gasped, "You didn't tell me."

"You were upset enough." Lucius answered, "The boys don't need to know either."

"Will you speak to Draco?" Narcissa asked again.

Lucius allowed a worn smile and stood slowly, helping his wife to her feet as well, "As you wish." He said with a more charming smile, strolling over to the three boys.

Crabb and Goyle were uncharacteristically thoughtful and quiet, and Draco was putting a great deal of effort towards being courageous, uncharacteristic as well, though his eyes were red and slightly swollen, "Father." He said, his voice breaking ever so slightly.

"Hello boys." Lucius said with false bravado, "Are you three alright?"

Goyle nodded distractedly, while Draco forced a bit of a smile, "Bored."

Lucius smiled until Crabb spoke, "Where are _our _fathers?"

"I'm sure they'll be along soon." Lucius lied, "Although I don't suppose that's much of a comfort considering the circumstances."

Lucius glanced around at the others, Rabastan and Rudolphus Lestrange was brooding off on their own as Lucius had been, and Bellatrix was shooting frequent angry glances at the nearby Muggles; a suspicious sensation began to tug at Lucius that he would be the only one capable of being a father figure to Crabb and Goyle. A stab of mild annoyance followed this feeling as he noticed the absence of Voldemort, who had been with the Lestranges. It was obvious that if Muggles had attempted to capture his master they would have been massacred, but the Lestrange brothers sat here with him inside the rocky enclosure. Where were the last remaining Death Eaters, and more importantly, where was their master?

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Severus Snape scowled as he watched Sirius Black pace back and forth like a dog in a cage, then smirked to himself at the internal metaphor; Remus Lupin stood and put a firm hand on his shoulder, "Stop pacing, Sirius; you're only going to work yourself up."

"Worked up?" Sirius muttered back angrily as he turned on the other man, "What happens when we're in here for a full moon? How well do you think Snivellus over there can protect himself without a _wand_?!"

"That's enough." Nymphadora Tonks said as she stepped between the men, facing Lupin, "Let him pace if he wants to be a wild dog."

"Please!" Minerva McGonagall called to them, "If we are to figure out how to free ourselves of this prison don't you think we should at least be _trying_ to remain calm and _think_?"

Tonks slowly returned to where Minerva and Arabella Figg sat in deep and yet quiet discussion, "That sign out there says Order of the Phoenix; why doesn't anyone ask what we're all thinking?" Sirius muttered darkly, "Where is Albus?"

Minerva looked down and shook her head, "We don't-"

"If we were truly brought here for observation," Snape interrupted as he stood, "And it appears that we _were_... do you think Albus Dumbledore is a prime candidate for a healthy and strong wizard, as far as Muggles are concerned?"

"Then where are the others; where is _Hagrid_?" Sirius growled.

"They killed Bill Weasley for fighting them." Arabella recalled quietly, "They hit him over the head and he was bleeding... it was terrible."

"The Muggles have truly outdone themselves now." Snape muttered, glancing at the Muggles on the other side of the glass with such a fierce scowl that many of them took steps back.

"How could they possibly have known that we existed at all? Not to mention how do they know what we _called _ourselves?" Tonks muttered.

Sirius walked up to glass and slammed his fist into it, snarling as he rested his forehead against the glass, breathing heavily in his anger, then jerked away and took his animangus form as the large black dog bounding up to sulk beside Remus, "Was that necessary?" he asked, "Because now they'll never leave."

"They _want_ to see animals." Sirius growled in reply, stalking off to be alone.

"There's no way to know who is here and who isn't until we actually see them." Minerva said with some authority, "I say that right now we concentrate on learning what we can about why we are here. Perhaps that will give us some inclination of how to escape."

Snape stood and began to pace now, more than once glancing intently at the sign that read 'Death Eaters' and pointed to the left; his mind began to wonder as he contemplated the condition of the Muggles' other prisoners.

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A/N: Ok I know that I didn't mention what year this took place during so I'm guessing sometime between/during the fourth and fifth books, since Voldemort is back in body _and_ spirit. This chapter served to reveal everyone within the zoo, so there won't be many other surprise appearances in the future. Next chapter: What do the Muggles know? Review!


	3. Teneo Omnis

George groaned as he awoke slowly, rolling onto his side and opening his eyes to find himself still incapable of seeing clearly; he rubbed his eyes and sat up on his knees, blinking in the bright sunlight. He was back outside, in a different place from where he'd fallen asleep, next to a large metallic plate piled with breads and fresh vegetables. George jerked away from it quickly and stood clumsily, stumbling over to an area where clear water spilled down the rocks and into a small pool at waist-height. He dipped his cupped hands into the pool and drank greedily, the cold water numbing his chapped lips and parched throat; he was now dressed in robes and it was far hotter than where he had been with Fred. George jerked around as he suddenly remembered his brother, "Fred? Fred!" he called, but neither heard nor saw his brother; he paced the entire back wall of his enclosure and found no hidden exit as he had before. He was trapped, and Fred was nowhere to be found. Panic seized George's heart as he thought of Fred dying, and he beat frantically on the rock wall, "PLEASE! I WANT TO KNOW IF MY BROTHER IS ALRIGHT! PLEASE!"

No answer came, and George sank to his knees trying not to cry; he leaned against the rock wall and fell into an exhausted sleep, the drugs in his system robbing him of his energy once more.

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Fred opened his eyes and squinted against the light. His newly-bandaged forehead throbbed and his muscles burned from lack of use; he coughed as he sat up, finding himself in an alarmingly small and sterile holding area. A flat and slightly uncomfortable bed lay in the center of the area, where Fred now sat; he stood quickly and walked to one of the three glass walls surrounding him. As he gazed out into the equally white area outside of his own, he saw Bill Weasley lying on a large metal gurney. Fred's heart leapt and he pounded on the glass excitedly to get his brother's attention, eliciting no response from his eldest brother. He continued until two Muggles dressed in white entered the room, speaking casually with each other; they moved over Bill and one of them turned his head to the side to observe his neck. Behind them, the orange-haired teenager fell away from the glass, clapping a hand over his mouth and struggling against the violent urge his body suddenly had to be sick as he saw the nearly caved-in left side of his brother's face. Finally he pulled himself backwards and shoved himself into the far corner of his enclosure, sinking to the floor and hiding his face; his screams of terror and mourning were silenced by the thick glass. Fred remained jammed into the corner trembling and heaving for what seemed to him to be like hours before he slowly stood and risked a glance over his shoulder. The room was empty and he saw his reflection in the glass; he had managed to bust the wound on his head open again and blood laced its way down his face through the soaked bandages. Fred reached up to touch it but thought better of it and dropped his hand limply back to his side; he thought of his brother and remembered barely hearing Molly and Arthur's muffled voices in the darkness. He trembled now, because of the slight hypothermia he still harbored from before, the terror of seeing Bill's body laid out on that metal gurney and the sudden loneliness that overtook him when George's absence pulled at his mind.

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"This isn't right." Molly whispered tearfully, "They should have let the children go… they just keep _sleeping_ Arthur; I don't know what to do… I can't _do_ anything to help my children!"

"_Let_ them sleep, Molly." Arthur replied gently, "They're all in after such a struggle, especially Charlie."

Molly was quiet for a minute as she watched the groups of Muggles leaving and approaching the glass, "Where is Ronald, Arthur?"

"He's here; they've been to the school… we know that much." Arthur muttered, "I can't see any of the other… displays."

"Is that what they're called?" Molly asked bitterly, "Displays?"

Arthur nodded as he sat in the grass beside her; Ginny and Charlie were in the house-like half of their enclosure, both sleeping, and Percy was pacing the area just before the great drop, observing the Muggles, "They're not very intelligent-looking." He observed aloud, bringing his father from his thoughts.

"They're probably getting used to seeing humans inside a cage," Arthur replied as he stood to join his son, "Used to thinking of us as animals."

"Muggles are the animals." Percy said in a hushed voice, showing his feelings about the situation for the first time, "They should be in-"

"_No one_ should be." Arthur corrected firmly, "People are _not_ animals, Muggle or otherwise."

"They could have fooled me." Percy said coldly as he turned his back on their observers and went to the very back of the enclosure, sitting upon a jutting piece of the rock wall while Arthur continued to stare at the Muggles.

"Why do you keep doing that, Arthur?"

"I want to know what they know." He muttered back as if in a trance.

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"They know that we call ourselves the Order of the Phoenix." Lupin said, "They know that we're wizards and they knew where we were staying."

"They knew enough to take our wands away, and they put most of us to sleep quickly. I don't even remember being taken." Tonks added.

"Nor do I." Sirius admitted, "Anyone?"

The others shook their heads one by one, while Snape continued to stare through the glass, "Perhaps You-Know-Who did-" Arabella added.

"It wasn't Him." Snape interrupted.  
"And how would you know for certain?" Sirius snapped.  
"The sign over there," Snape said slowly, "It's just like ours, and if you could read perhaps you could tell me what it says?"

Sirius squinted and scowled darkly after a moment, "The Death Eaters are here too."

"No one noticed this before now?" Lupin asked angrily.

"I believe I did." Snape replied, "While you were all busy guessing."

"Perhaps next time you should interrupt us if you have important information, Severus." Minerva said gently.

"Perhaps I should." Snape muttered as he turned back to the glass, "However, given the circumstances concerning my line of sight; my discoveries will eventually run out and we will have to start putting effort into our information gathering."

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"Are you certain you don't want to-"

"Could _you_ eat? Sitting in here and knowing what they… what they did to him?" Ron interrupted quietly.

Harry shook his head after a moment, "No, but you-"

"Why should I? My entire _family_ could be… gone."

"Charlie and Percy were _fine_." Hermione comforted, "And you said that you saw the twins."

"Only once and not since… Fred was bleeding." Ron said, "I want to see my parents."

"Go and get a drink." Hermione urged, "There's water over-"

"No."

"You'll make yourself sick." Hermione countered.

"She's right Ron." Harry added firmly, "You shouldn't… make us look after you."

Ron flinched as if Harry had slapped him, "I wouldn't think of it." he spat, standing quickly and storming off towards the water.

"I had to." Harry whispered.

"I understand." Hermione assured him, "You should talk to him, Harry."

Harry nodded and stood slowly, walking to where Ron was splashing water over his face from a fountain similar to the one his brother had drank from hours before, "Ron."

"I wouldn't want to make you worry." He replied bitterly.

Harry looked hurt for a moment but pressed on, "I shouldn't have said it, but I had to say _something_ to make you-"

"A simple 'sorry about Bill' would have done." Ron interrupted.

"Ron." Harry whispered, unable to think of anything else, "You _know_ I'm sorry about Bill… I… I never said anything…"

"No, you didn't."

"Well can you-"

"_Blame_ you? Why would I blame _you_?!" Ron snapped.

"Ron I know what you're feeling right now." Harry said with restraint, "I _understand_."

"No you don't!" Ron shouted, "Your parents have _always_ been dead! I'm quite capable of remembering Bill; should I just be satisfied with my two other brothers and Ginny?! IS THAT IT?! You don't know _anything_ about how I-"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Harry shot, then calmed, "Look, Ron-"

Red crept across Ron's already angry face and he swung at Harry, his fist connecting with the other boy's jaw and knocking him backwards, "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

Harry scrambled to his feet but Ron tackled him and they went rolling a bit down the hill, Ron still striking where he could and Harry merely defending, "RON STOP IT!" Hermione screamed as she ran to them.

"Ron! Ron I'm _sorry_!" Harry said, stopping at another blow and then continuing, "I don't know what it's like to lose a brother, but I _don't_ want to lose _you_!"

Ron froze and his face paled; he collapsed into sobs on top of his friend, his tear-soaked face burned into Harry's shoulder, "I don't want to die, Harry." He said, muffled by his sobs and Harry's robes, "Not like this."

Harry held his friend and adjusted his now bent glasses, "I know Ron." He choked as Hermione knelt beside them.

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"Lucius _do_ something." Narcissa urged.

Lucius crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, "Why should I? They're keeping away from us if they're fighting each other."

Narcissa looked back to the battling Lestrange brothers, who had wrestled to the ground and were now doing far worse than simply exchanging blows; Narcissa feared that one of them would die if it did not end soon, "They could hurt each other."

"No one else is concerned, Cissy." Lucius said tolerantly, "Just try to ignore it."

Bellatrix was ignoring the fighting as well, jumping up and screaming profanities at them when they rolled a bit too close to her; the children were simply relieved that the Muggles were ignoring them for the moment. Lucius stood suddenly and stormed over to the brothers; after a bit of shouting he too fell into the fight, and soon Bellatrix and Narcissa were struggling to break the men apart. It was not a long time before a gate opened and two strong male Muggles stepped in, the larger of the two holding a small pile of papers, "Which one, sir?"

The larger of the two muttered and shoved a piece of paper into the smaller Muggle's hands just as Rudolphus landed a fierce blow to Rabastan's face and knocked him into the smaller Muggle man. The man fell backwards and cried out, moving quickly away from the thinner Lestrange and pulling out the tranquilizer gun that hung at his hip, "The _blonde_ one you idiot!" the larger Muggle shouted.

The man adjusted his aim and after a moment Lucius stumbled a bit and sank to the ground; Narcissa leapt up but Bellatrix held her back, "Do you want it to?!" she snarled, and her blonde sister fell to her knees as they carried her husband's form from the enclosure.

Draco was at his mother's side in an instant, "It... it's alright." He said, feeling responsible for Narcissa in his father's absence, "They'll bring him back."

Rabastan strode over to Narcissa once the Muggles had gone and, with his back to the glass wall, handed her a crumpled piece of paper, "The Muggle had it." He explained, "You might take a look."

Narcissa remained frozen for a moment before also standing with her back to the observing Muggles, Draco at her side as she let her eyes scan the paper before gasping, "What is this?"

Draco then took it from his mother and read it, struggling to maintain a calm demeanor as the words revealed a lot more than they had expected,

_Lucius Malfoy_

_Pure-blood Wizard_

_Death Eater / Slytherin House_

_Mate: Narcissa Black –see chart-_

_Approximately 40 years old_

_Offspring: 1 (Draco Malfoy -see chart-)_

_Danger Level: 3_

"They know our names..." Draco muttered as he returned the paper to his mother only to have it snatched away by Bellatrix, "They know how old we are, our families, our _Houses_? ...they know _everything_."

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A/N: Ok so the rating is now T; which I'm sure you'll agree with by the end of this chapter. I promise to talk more about Angelina and Katie whom I left out of this chapter. It will be a few days before Chapter 4 shows up because I'll be crazy busy with finals. Next Chapter: The Research Begins. Review? Thanks!


	4. Bestia Venatio

Angelina heard the sound before she even woke up; she sat up and glanced around as her mind worked to identify the sound; Katie was crying. Angelina crawled over to her, "It's alright, Katie. If we just-"

"Did you see what they did to Fred?" Katie whispered.

Angelina looked down and closed her eyes to collect herself; she had seen Fred's injury, his blue lips and his troubled expression, the way he had looked as they drug him from the enclosure, "They took care of him, Katie; he'll be-"

"What about us?" Katie interrupted, "Do you think _we'll_ be ok?"

"They haven't hurt us yet."

"THEY KILLED MY MOTHER!" Katie shouted, then calmed, looking slightly haggard, "They had to kill _both_ of my parents to get to me...and then to drug us into that room and did those things..."

Angelina hesitated, and then spoke, "It didn't hurt." She assured, examining the small pin-sized hole in her arm.

"They took blood." Katie argued, rubbing the spot where they had done the same to her, an ugly bruise surrounding the tiny wound, "What do you imagine they wanted to take it for?"

"I'm guessing not for dark magic." Angelina mumbled.

"That wasn't funny." Katie started angrily, "Don't-"

"I wasn't joking." Angelina defended, "I'm trying to make sense of all this."

"I know." Katie whispered to herself, then began to walk, walk faster, jog, and then sprint towards the front of the enclosure, "What are you doing?" Angelina called, "Katie!" Angelina jumped up as the distance between Katie and the deep security trench grew smaller and smaller, desperate to reach her before she fell, "KATIE!"

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Veins popped out against the skin of Lucius' forearms as he struggled against the straps holding down his wrists; he had awoken an hour before, strapped to the gurney and stripped down to the waist with more than one thin tube leading from a machine to long needles buried in his arm. The blonde man froze as the two white doors that served as the only entrance and exit to what the Muggles within called the 'lab' burst open and a group of Muggles entered carrying/dragging/pushing a young man with fire-colored hair who was struggling as if he intended to kill them all. Lucius recognized the blood-traitor's son, one of the twins, and smirked to himself; at least the Death Eaters were not the only ones trapped in the Muggle hell. Lucius rose an eyebrow when the orange-haired boy landed a heavy blow on one of the Muggles, and he fell, "Don't!" a Muggle snapped to a girl who approached with a weapon similar to the one that had subdued Lucius, "If that gets in his blood we'll have to tie him down for half a day! Get him on one of the tables and strap him down!"

The woman rolled her eyes and stepped away as the boy continued to struggle, managing to drag the entire group into the floor with him and struggle against the slick floor to pull free of their grips. Most of the skin on the boy's arms and face had far surpassed its usual freckled tone, rubbed raw from sweaty grips and flushed from the struggle; blood bubbled up from dull scratches caused by the men's short nails. Lucius' muscles ached to be able to struggle, match his strength against the Muggles; bestial and primitive as the desire was, he once again battled against his constraints. One of the Muggles managed to grab the Weasley boy around the waist as he attempted to run and lift him from the ground; the boy took advantage of this and threw his weight backwards, toppling both them and Lucius' table to the ground. One of the thick metal latches opened and Lucius jerked his wrist free, undoing the latch around his left arm and hurrying to free his legs while the Muggles still fought the boy, not noticing him. After the restraints were removed, Lucius reached for the multiple points where the needles entered his skin and tore them out; the needles had been laced carefully into larger veins and when they left his skin blood spattered unceremoniously on the floor and across his chest. Lucius stood up and stalked towards one of the Muggle women who stood between him and the exit; she held her gun shakily and stared at him as he approached fearfully. He reached her and grabbed her wrist, causing her to drop the gun as his rage-intensified grip caused the fragile bones of her wrist to crack ever so slightly; his hands found her neck and he prepared to kill her. George saw and stopped struggling, falling to his knees instantly and allowing the Muggle men to rescue the woman; one man remained behind with him and forced him onto one of the tables like Lucius had been upon, strapping him down. Lucius was brought down with one of the special guns, and the Muggle men strapped him more securely to another table, leaving the room empty save for three women dressed in white.

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"KATIE NO!" Angelina screeched.

"I HAVE TO GET HURT!" Katie cried over her shoulder, "THEY'LL TAKE ME TO FRED!"

"KATIE THAT WILL _KILL_-" Angelina froze as her friend slipped, falling into the chasm and catching the earth surrounding it with one hand. Angelina dove forward and grabbed her friend's wrists, "Its ok Katie I've got you."

Katie had banged her nose when she had caught herself and now a very small bit of blood stained her upper lip, "My mum is gone." She whispered.

"You can stay with my family when we get out." Angelina assured, "We'll be like sisters; please let me pull you up."

"I wanted to see Fred again." Katie muttered, "I've always liked him... he fancies you, of course, but... he is cute, isn't he?"

"He is." Angelina answered as she began to pull Katie up.

"No!" Katie snapped, jerking her hand from Angelina and nearly falling.

Angelina limited herself to merely holding onto Katie, "I'm sorry; I won't."

"What other tests do you think they'll do on us; how much longer until they want more than blood?" Katie asked as she glanced down, "A few weeks or maybe it'll be a few months if we're lucky."

"You think we'll be here that long?" Angelina asked.

Katie smiled a haunting smile, "We're not leaving here, Angelina, ever."

"Dumbledore will-" Angelina started.

"Do you think anyone has more will or ability to protect me than my parents?" Katie interrupted.

"Well _no_ but... he _could_-"

"I'm ready, Angelina; move your hands." Katie ordered quietly.

Angelina began to cry and she shook her head, "No Katie, you have to _stay_. We'll -"

"Please don't trap me here." Katie whispered, tears filling her own eyes, "Let me go."

Angelina began to sniffle and whimper as slowly and hesitantly, she released her friends' hands; Katie closed her eyes and dropped, leaving Angelina to sob as she buried her face in her hands.

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"I'm not going to stand for this!" Percy cried, "Look at what they've _done_ to us!"

"Percy you're scaring your mother." Arthur muttered.

"She _needs_ to be frightened!" Percy countered angrily, "We've got to _do_ something!"

"Charlie tried to so something; look at _him_!" Ginny cried from her spot on her mother's arm.

Percy glanced at his brother and faltered slightly; Charlie was sitting on the ground with his knees pulled to his chest, staring straight ahead as he had since he'd awoken from the drug-induced sleep. Arthur took Percy by the elbow and led him away from the others, speaking low, "Percy stop this right now; this _isn't_ what we need."

"What _is_?" Percy muttered back urgently, "To stay here forever? Is that what we should do? _Give up_? I may be the only son that Mum has left and I _won't_ let her die in here!"

"Percy you don't have to be strong just because Bill and Charlie-" Arthur started.

"I _am_ strong!" Percy shouted, "Do you want Ginny to finish growing up in here?! You _know_ what will happen to her? She'll keep fighting until one day, without even realizing, she _accepts_ this, and then she'll start to _need_ it, and if we ever escape she won't know what to do with herself!"

Ginny stared at her brother for a moment before bursting into tears, burying her face in Molly's arm, "That's _enough_." Arthur warned his son, "If all you're going to do is _upset_ them then perhaps you shouldn't speak at-"

It happened before Percy even realized he was planning it, and his fist connected with his father's jaw; Arthur raised a hand to the spot, looking at his son shocked. Percy's lip trembled slightly and he stormed away from his father, sitting heavily next to his silent older brother and pressing his fist against his mouth in a forced thinking gesture. Arthur walked past his sons stiffly and sat beside Molly who, despite putting up a strong front for her sobbing daughter, was on the brink of tears.

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Fred paced in his small glass room with increasing urgency; he wanted to get back to his brother and their separation was driving him to the brink of madness. He froze in his pacing when two women entered the room; the first woman was speaking authoritatively as she pulled out a key and unlocked Fred's enclosure, pushing a gurney in front of them before she entered, "...far we haven't had any aggression problems with this one, but his brother is another story. A lot of the keepers insist on tranquilizing them when you get close to one, but Wizards are actually closely related to us; they seem to understand basic phrases. Lock the door behind you, and if the situation does get out of hand; you have your tranquilizer gun, yes?"

The other girl nodded as she followed the woman inside, looking warily at Fred, "I'm sorry I keep asking so many questions, but what are you planning to do?"

"Please." Fred interrupted civilly, "I have to see George, my brother; I _need-_"

"Hello there, Fred." The woman interrupted as if he wasn't speaking, "How are you this morning?"

"Do you have to speak with him like that?" the girl asked.

"Well just because they're animals is no reason not to be civil." The woman retorted as she turned back to Fred, "Sit up there, please."

"You knew my name; how did you know?" Fred asked, sitting up awkwardly on the gurney the woman had brought in, "I want to see my-"

"We're doing a basic aggression test on this one today; he's our first actual test because he has a fairly even temper." The woman told the girl, speaking as though she were training the girl to do such things herself in the future, "We're hoping for positive results. We'll be studying his reaction to pain, frustration and fear. We've already observed boredom as a pacing that seems fairly consistent with _most_ of the Wizards outside of the male Arthur."

"Case twenty." The girl corrected hastily, "We're _supposed_ to refer to them by their case numbers in front of the others to avoid causing any unneeded stress, Diane."

"He's already seen _Case twenty_ here, Patrice." The woman called Diane countered as she turned back to Fred.

"Look, I don't want to do anymore tests, alright?" Fred stated calmly, "I _want_ to see George and I want to see him-"

Diane ignored Fred and took his left hand, observing it before poking it sharply with a needle, "First test."

"Ow!" Fred exclaimed, jerking away his hand, "Bloody hell that _hurt_!"

"Case twenty-two shows basic self-preservation instincts." Diane muttered into a strange rectangular machine, "Vocalization, no aggression so far."

"_Please_ stop ignoring me, would you? I _know_ you can understand me; we're speaking the same ruddy language!" Fred muttered, looking desperately at the woman, who replied with another sharp poke, this time high on his right arm with a longer needle that actually pierced his skin, "HEY!"

"Despite continuous lack of communication and repeated painful experiences, Case twenty-two makes no attempts to become aggressive or flee the situation." Diane continued, "Mild neurotoxin injected, waiting for a reaction at this time."

Fred scowled until suddenly the two women staring at him began to change; his vision blurred and their faces were suddenly in the same shape his brother's had been, destroyed and caved-in. He screamed and flipped backwards off of the gurney, crawling to the corner; wails and cries of terror escaped the boy as he hid his face and struggled to escape the macabre creatures in his room, "What do you think he sees?"

"Case twenty-two responds normally to neurotoxins, exhibits fear and anxiety and has fled to a far corner of the room, Fred? Fred, will you come back over here please? ...Case twenty-two is currently unresponsive to basic commands."

Fred sobbed bitterly as he ignored the mutterings of the Muggle women, wanting nothing more than to return to his brother, "Are... are we finished?" Patrice whispered, sounding like she wanted nothing more than to leave the sounds of Fred's panic behind.

There was silence, and with a loud click Fred was once again trapped inside of the enclosure; his sobs faded slowly to quiet sniffles as he was left alone.

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Tears slid silently down George's cheeks as he thought of the pain his brother must be enduring; he was strapped to a gurney as Lucius had been, half a dozen IV needles pulled small amounts of blood into a machine that in turn beeped every time a small sample vial was filled. Muggles came and went, ignoring him when he asked for his brother, and barely looking at him; as he stared at the ceiling, a woman approached this time with a sharp sliver blade, "I'm sorry I can't sedate you; we're testing your blood constantly and any chemical would make the samples worthless. I need to take a skin biopsy and we're not supposed to explain procedure to you, but I know you can understand me. This _will_ hurt, alright?"

George closed his eyes and looked away, ignoring her until a pain unlike anything he had ever felt tore through his left side just between his ribcage and hips; the blade slid downwards, then to the side and back up, forming a small square which was then lifted away with an ugly silver instrument. George began to tremble as his body threatened to go into shock; the woman quickly covered the wound with a square of cotton and taped it down. She then moved to the machine and turned it off, preventing further blood-loss as she hurried across the room and returned with two folded blankets, spreading them out over the boy and watching him closely. When the monitors indicated George's pulse had once again regulated, she took her sample and left the room with a slight shake of her head. George began to cry once again, whispering to himself, "Fred, I hope you're still alive..."

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"He's been quiet." Harry said as Hermione sat down beside him; it was night on their fifth day in their new prison and Ron sat outside staring up at the stars while the other two conversed.

"He won't eat." Hermione replied, "I don't know how long he can live on just water."

"Maybe he has the right idea." Harry sighed.

"Don't talk like that." Hermione scolded, "I know you better; you don't want to die anymore than you want him to."

"The last time I tried to talk to him he hit me, Hermione." Harry muttered, "What do you think he'll do this time?"

"He's your best friend." Hermione whispered through tears, shaking her head as Harry reached to touch her, "I'm fine."

Harry turned as he heard a quiet sound; his eyes adjusted to reveal the silhouette of Ron, "Oh… Ron. Do you want something to-"

"What do you think Dad's doing right now?" Ron asked drowsily, sitting heavily on the stone floor of the strange building.

Harry forced an unsure smile and sat beside his shaken friend.

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Molly opened her eyes when her hand fell heavily onto the grass instead of Arthur's arm; she sat up quickly and scanned the dark enclosure. Percy was sleeping in the grass next to Charlie's staring form while Ginny slept curled up behind the tables and chair, hiding herself from the Muggles that had been staring all day. Molly stood and took a few steps in either direction, "Arthur?" she whispered once cautiously. No answer came, and Molly sighed in frustration, "Arthur!" she called softly, not growing worried.

"Mum?" Percy whispered groggily as he stood up, "What are you doing?"  
Molly looked around desperately as her eyes adjusted and she gained her night vision; she whimpered as she shook her head, "Your father is gone, Percy."


	5. Abitas Pecco

The light was blinding, and something stung Arthur's eyes, forcing him to squeeze them shut again and realize that sweat had poured into his eyes as he slept; he reached for his wife, but found himself incapable of moving his hand. The memories hazed back then: the undignified struggle with the guards, the tranquilizer dart, begging even as he fell to the ground for them to release his children; Arthur opened his eyes again and let the bright light flood his vision. After the initial blindness, his eyes began to adjust and he looked out, as much as he was able, at the white sterile room where he was confined, "You're awake." a weak voice whispered.

Arthur turned his head and froze at what he saw; a horror so pale and so strapped down with strange contraptions that nothing was recognizable save for the orange hair, "George? What have they done to you, boy?"

"I can't remember some, and I wouldn't know what to call what I _can_." George admitted, taking a slow breath, "They've left me alone the last few hours... since they brought you in."

Arthur stared up at the ceiling for a moment before speaking, "I've been here for how long?"

"Three hours I think." George replied, "But... I haven't seen a clock or anything; I'm just guessing."

"How long have they kept you here?" Arthur drilled.

"Days." George sighed, "I don't remember anything more than that... How-"

"Quiet." Arthur muttered as he saw two Muggles stepping through a door, both with eyes intently set upon Arthur."

"This is the Sire then?" the first Muggle questioned.

His small blonde female assistant nodded, "Case number twenty, sir." she replied, handing him a clipboard.

"He's not had his Basic Aggression Test, Patrice?"

"N-no Doctor." Patrice stuttered, "I've been alone on lab work today and I-"

"Get him in a Solitary room and get it _done_." the doctor ordered, slamming the clipboard in her hands, "And get Case twenty-three off of that machine before it kills him. Can't you people do _anything_ without me here?"

Patrice dropped the files that the doctor shoved at her and hurried to George obediently as the man left, pulling on a pair of latex gloves and turning off the machines before removing the multiple needles from George's arms. A very slight flush returned to George's cheeks as he uttered what sounded like a sigh of relief. Patrice wrinkled her nose slightly and hurried from the room to gather the proper materials to perform the dangerous experiment on a much larger animal.

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Angelina was numb as she opened her eyes; she had fallen asleep after eating, and when she woke her face felt tight and cold, "MUM?! PERCY?!" an urgent voice cried a few yards off.

Angelina sat up instantly, seeing Ginny Weasley running towards the glass as Katie had done, "NO!" Angelina screeched, jumping up.

Hermione had barely awoken herself, and was sitting rubbing her forehead when Angelina tripped over her; both girls cried out and Angelina struggled to stand, "SHE'LL JUMP AGAIN! DON'T JUMP KATIE!"

Ginny stopped and turned around, watching the older girls tussle as Angelina began to shake Hermione madly, "Hermione?!" Ginny called, running to them, "You're _here_?!"

Angelina straightened and realized where she was after her mind began to work fully again, "I'm sorry." She muttered standing and pulling Hermione to her feet.

"I suspect we've all been _moved_." Hermione said as she dusted herself off, "I was with Harry and Ron."

"Ron's alive?!" Ginny said, beaming, "We've seen all of my other brothers but him... is he alright?"

"More or less." Hermione replied, "He's in better shape than... others. What about you two? Are we all alright?"

"They poisoned our _food_!" Angelina snapped, "Put drugs in it!"

"Yes I think by now we're aware." Hermione replied impatiently, "Now _please-_"

"Father went missing." Ginny whispered, "Mum told us not to eat it but I was so _hungry_. Why am I the one always doing something stupid?!"

"Now is really not the time." Hermione started, "We have to figure out _why_ they've moved us."

"They've moved us because they want to separate and _kill_ us!" Ginny whaled.

"They've already _killed_ some of us..." Angelina added.

Hermione sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands, whimpering as she struggled to keep it together, "Oh Harry..." she whispered, "I need you..."

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Harry sighed heavily, staring at the ground in front of him; he had fallen asleep suddenly, and now assumed there had been something in the food. Hermione had disappeared while he was out, and he had awoken alone in the enclosure with a badly beaten Ron. Blood had dried on his face from an injury high on his forehead, hidden within a mass of tangled red hair and Harry was worried that he might be seriously injured, but the side-effects of the poisoned food and slow creeping despair saw to it that he simply sat and stared at his friend through dull eyes. Harry's thoughts drifted to Hermione; what were they doing to her? He remembered her wild look when she had first entered the enclosure and thought on what it must have taken to get her that way. Images of Hermione broken and bleeding began to flash in Harry's mind, faster and faster until his jaw clenched and his eyes burned. Behind Harry, Ron slowly rose and glanced at his friend, memories flooding back and he ran towards Harry, "Harry! Harry they did something to you while I was fighting... with... with a needle!" Ron said desperately, searching for the Muggle word, "They said something about a test or something!"

Harry stood and turned to his friend, his face twisted into a hateful snarl as he took a step forward, seeing only a Muggle male, jeering and mocking him while Hermione's pain and death still flashed before his eyes occasionally, driving him to madness. He leapt onto Ron's already weakened form and drove the taller boy to the ground, "I'LL _KILL_ YOU, YOU FILTHY MUGGLE! I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HER!"

Ron struggled as Harry's expression became more and more fearsome; the boy was obviously not himself, and if Ron had any hope of staying alive long enough to heal, it would be in escaping his friend. Ron managed to stumble to his feet and run away through the strange large enclosure, slipping more than once on the wet morning grass. Ron hadn't eaten the food for days, and when Harry and Hermione had lost consciousness, he had been awake, and he had fought the Muggles. They hadn't brought tranquilizer guns for the sole reason that they expected him to be out; they had simple beaten him until he had fallen, jammed a needle of something into Harry's arm, muttered about an Aggression Test, and left with Hermione's limp form. Ronald had fought valiantly to save his friends, and now he may have to fight for his own life, attack his own friend; Ron would have felt guilt over such a thought, but he knew that if he did fight Harry, that he would die.

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Arthur's eyes narrowed as the woman approached him, "I wouldn't." he said calmly, his first warning.

"Specimen seems unwilling to cooperate." Patrice said shakily into the tape recorder, "Is already showing early signs of aggression."

Patrice pulled out her needle-tip pen and poked Arthur very quickly in the knuckle with it, stepping back, "What did I _tell_ you?!" Arthur demanded.

"Responds to pain with further aggression, shows signs of anger." Arthur watched the woman suspiciously as she produced the syringes from her lab coat and uncapped it, "Proceeding with neuron-toxin test." Patrice muttered, taking a step forward.

Arthur took this time to move, grabbing Patrice by the wrist and taking the syringe; he held it mere millimeters away from her face, "Now you listen to me, you ignorant cow," Arthur growled, keeping his eyes carefully open for any approaching Muggles, "Put my boy George back with his brother, do you hear me?"

Patrice struggled to pull away and Arthur pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her neck while keeping the needle aimed for her face, "S…s…security!" Patrice choked out, her voice not loud enough to raise alarm on her two-way.

"You'll put him with Fred, and you'll stop running tests on my family except for me. You can keep me as long as you like, but you'll leave them all be, or I'll ram this down your throat. Are we starting to understand each other?" Arthur whispered dangerously, allowing the tip of the needle to break the thin shield of flesh over Patrice's jugular, a single drop of blood sliding down to stain the white collar of her lab coat.

After a slight pause, Patrice nodded barely, careful not to move her neck; Arthur pushed her away and dropped the syringe, smashing it on the floor, "Case twenty responding to neurotoxins as expected, extreme but intelligence-driven aggression." Patrice muttered into the tape-recorder, turning it off, "You've got ten minutes before it would have worn off." She muttered, and then slowly added, "It's supposed to make you angry."

As instructed, Arthur took his anger out on the sparse furniture within the tiny enclosure, counting the seconds carefully until he could stop; after all, one good turn deserved another.

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"Lucius!" Narcissa cried, throwing herself into his arms when he was shoved into the encounter roughly.

"Where's the boy?" he asked groggily, holding her as he looked around at his new surroundings.

"They took him!" Narcissa whaled, "THEY TOOK MY _SON_!"

"Calm down, Narcissa." Lucius said quietly, looking down at her, "He'll be alright; he's a strong boy."

Narcissa quieted as she observed the scars and bruises on Lucius bare upper-body; she jerked away and turned her back on him, "I would have _died_ before I let those filthy Muggles touch me." She hissed.

Lucius looked down at himself and then scowled, looking back up at his wife, "What would you have me do? Let them kill me when I have a wife and son to look after? Should I have been a _coward_?!" he demanded, grabbing her arm and spinning her around as he grew angrier.

"_Weren't _you?" she asked coldly.

"I nearly killed one of them." Lucius growled, "I would have brought you her head, my love."

"_Would_ have," Narcissa muttered with a pout, "But didn't."

"Patience." Lucius said authoritatively, pulling her to him, "You will have your blood yet."

"Will you kill them all for me, Lucius?" Narcissa hissed, hints of her sister Bellatrix dancing in her eyes as she grinned darkly, "I want to bathe in their blood."

"You will." Lucius answered, ending their conversation with a passionate kiss.

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Draco rubbed his arm where a few scratch marks were appearing; even Draco had willingly ceased struggle long before Narcissa had let go of him. His bond with his mother wasn't even as strong as that of the Weasley boys with Molly, and he bristled with annoyance at the minor but painful injuries she had caused with her silliness. He was stuck now, with the mindless Lestrange's, his pathetic former-minion Vincent Crabb and the maddeningly silent Gregory Goyle. Draco had grown to be a lot like his father, lacking a bit in the diplomatic area, however; he depended on biting words and cleverness and of course now none of that mattered. Bargaining would have no effect either... _their lives for mine..._ and this thought frustrated Draco more than anything; a boy who was grown on the basis of using money and intimidation to gain footholds had been finally told no, and there was nothing he could do about it. He fumed and paced until a quiet noise caught his attention; a very quiet sound like a highly pressurized _whoosh_ of air. Draco recognized the sound instantly and threw himself to the ground as a tranquilizer dart flew past him and struck its target, Vincent Crabb, in the neck. The large boy fell with a heavy thud and soon three other darts found the Lestrange's; Goyle's face twisted into a snarl and he took two lumbering steps towards the entering Muggles. Draco quickly reached out and tripped the large boy, crawling on top of him, "They'll _kill_ you, you idiot!" he whispered as he struggled to hold the other boy down.

Goyle slowly calmed and allowed Draco to hold him down; when the Muggles glanced towards Draco and Goyle, the blonde boy quickly looked away, staring at the ground. The Muggles muttered to each other as they picked up Crabb's lifeless form and carried him from the enclosure; Draco knew then that he would never see the boy again.

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Lupin sighed heavily as he lay back on the grass, "Getting impatient, Remus?" Snape taunted, "If I were you I would keep that wolfish temper under control."

Lupin leapt to his feet, "How can you be so calm? I wouldn't hesitate to accuse you of being a part of this, _Snivellus_!" he growled, Sirius quickly stood and joined him, ready for a fight, "I would keep my poison to myself if you do not wish to _see _my wolfish temper."

Snape looked at them for a moment before allowing a—as Lupin had described— poisonous smile turn his mouth upward slightly, "I'm in the same predicament as you are, unfortunately, and I fail to understand how you would justify such an accusation."

Lupin calmed slightly, turning and nearly bumping into Sirius, "_Sit _down!" he barked at his friend, "The last thing I need is you getting ridiculous!"

Sirius flashed a winning grin, "I just thought you might need assistance."

"With _him_?" Lupin scoffed, causing Snape to scowl, "I _hardly_ think that-"

"Gentlemen please!" McGonagall snapped, standing and walking over to them, "Please stop acting like children. We need to figure out what is going on! It's been _five_ days and I am none too pleased about being here so long! Not to mention the _children_!"

"Children..." Sirius muttered, "Harry."

"_We_ will be the ones to get us out of here." McGonagall continued, "They all need us."

Snape grew solemn, the joy of taunting the men leaving him, "What do you suggest, Minerva?"

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Fred ran his hands back through his hair, shivering as the cold water poured down over him; the cold was nowhere near as terrible as what he had felt while inside those sterile white buildings and no amount of bathing could ever wash the feeling off. After Fred was certain he couldn't get himself any cleaner, considering the circumstances, he stepped away from the flow of water. Keeping himself well-hidden behind a large rock, he pulled on one of the pairs of jeans that had been left in the area, shook his wet hair and pushed it back from his face, "Are you sure you don't want to-"

George nodded slowly, laying back on the grass and touching his forehead; he was still pale, and an ugly red patch had flared up around the cut on his side. Fred sat beside his brother and touched the spot gingerly; George winced, "What are you doing?" he demanded quietly.

"Someone needs to look at it," Fred replied patiently, "And considering I'm the only one here..."

"Don't touch it." George ordered, rolling away.

Fred rolled George onto his back roughly, "It's getting _infected _George just let me-"

"No!" George snapped, shoving Fred hard enough to knock him back, "Just leave it!"

Fred scowled, "George, don't make me hurt you in front of the Muggles." He warned calmly, getting back up on his knees beside his brother.

"Hurt _me_?" George countered, sitting up, "I'd love to see you-"

Before the twin could finish, his brother had leapt onto him and they began a rather weak tussle. Fred managed to get his hand onto George's side and tear the bandage away; it came off with a rather generous amount of what might have once been flesh, "See? It's _infected_!" Fred cried.

"Alright fine you win." George grunted as he pressed his hand to the now bleeding wound, "I hope you're satisfied."

Fred frowned, remembering what exactly they had been fighting over, "Let's at least wash it out... maybe that will stop the bleeding?"

"I wish dad was here." George whispered as Fred helped him up and led him to the waterfall, gently coaxing him to stand under the cold water.

"I'm afraid, George." Fred replied, his voice breaking slightly.

George placed a heavy hand on Fred's shoulder and smiled weakly, "We're back together, Fred; there's nothing they can do to us as long as we're together."

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A/N: Wow so this chapter's bringing out a lot of the anger in everyone. I know I left out the other Weasley's but I HAD to mention the Order to some length and I was out of energy by the time I finished with the twins. Anyone have any suggestions, questions, comments? How is the story progressing as far as you're concerned? I love feedback and I LOVE suggestions… and Ron.


	6. Orexis Novus

Percy sighed heavily, placing a hand on Charlie's side as the older boy rolled over silently, "When are you going to talk to me?" he whispered mostly to himself.

After Arthur's disappearance, Charlie had developed another habit; at times he would turn and stare at Percy with such pain and desperation that it frightened the younger boy. He did this now as he sat up and laid his head on his little brother's shoulder for a moment before scooting away, "Are you boys warm enough?" Molly called half-heartedly from where she sat.

"Yes Mum, thank you." Percy replied, then looked down at Charlie, "Mum... do you think the Muggles did this to Charlie or... or his mind did?"

"Percy..."

"I'm asking because he seems to be coming out of it; he's moving and I think he notices us now. I'm asking because... until he wakes up I... I'm the one who has to protect you." Percy said uncertainly as he stood and walked to sit beside Molly, "I don't trust myself with that, Mum."

"Oh Percy." Molly comforted, pulling her son closer, "Your father will be back soon; everything will be alright."

"If he doesn't..." Percy said darkly, "I won't let them touch you, Mum, I swear, you _or_ Charlie... no matter what."

Molly kissed her son's forehead as Charlie sat a few yards away, the light of life slowly starting to flicker back into his dull eyes.

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Ron was contemplating throwing himself to the ground and crying when suddenly Harry stopped, looking around as if confused, "Ron? Where's Hermione?"

Ron let out a heavy breath, falling to the ground and looking up at his friend, "They… took her… and you went mad… I thought you were going to _kill_ me." He panted.

Harry quickly knelt beside his friend, "Are you alright?!"

"Of course." Ron replied with a sly smile, "I've always been too fast for you."

Harry laughed and ruffled the other boy's red hair, then grew serious, seeing Ron's injuries, "Oh Ron… did I-"

"I already said you didn't." Ron interrupted, "I fought them when they took Hermione."

Harry looked down, "She's…"

"They said they were moving her." Ron replied, sitting up, "I think she's going to be alright."

"They can control us." Harry muttered, "Like Voldemort."

Ron was so used to hearing the name by now that he didn't even flinch, "They have to stab you with one of those things first but… yes they can."

"This complicates things a bit. How can we be sure that we aren't under their control _now_? Well I mean... I would know if _I _was and you would know if _you_ were but-"

Ron shivered, "I understand, but I don't want to think about it."

Harry stood up and crossed his arms, staring at his feet intently, "If any of us had a plan of escape... telling anyone would be dangerous."

Ron looked up, "Why do you-"

"No!" Harry cut him off, looking annoyed, "You know as well as I do Hermione makes all our plans!"

Ron opened his mouth again but Harry turned away and walked off to be alone, "I think we need one _now_." He said to himself.

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Sweat stung Arthur's eyes as he collapsed to his knees, catching himself with his hands; his breath came in short gasps as he rolled over onto his back, struggling to get his bearings as the room began to spin, "That's clinical heat exhaustion at one hundred and twenty degrees Fahrenheit, sir." a male Muggle technician standing with the zoo's head Doctor.

"They have the same heat tolerance properties as humans." the Doctor from before said with excitement, "That means we can leave them out year round; that'll _double_ our annual monetary intake! Get him out of there and get him some water; I don't want our most perfect specimen having a heatstroke. Don't let him drink too fast. When he recovers put him in the cold room."

"Alright... oh sir?" the technician asked, turning.

"Hm?" the doctor made a quiet noise in response.

"What do you want me to do with the new one?"

"Put him with 22 and 23; I have the feeling that he will be quite a crowd-gatherer." The doctor said, "Get those protesters out of the parking lot. I'm sure there's a law against obstructing traffic?"

"They used one against the Suffragettes, sir." The technician confirmed.

The doctor chuckled as he exited, and Arthur was struggling to sit against a wall when the technician entered with a small glass of water, "Who..." he started, "Who is the 'new one'?"

The technician shoved the glass into Arthur's shaking hand, "Slow." He said, turning and walking out to the temperature controls.

Arthur looked at the water suspiciously for a moment before drinking it slowly, as he had been told; Arthur was rebellious, but he knew better than to disregard the Muggle's advice. After he had finished the water he grew cold, blaming the feeling on the sweat that covered him.

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"Is it still bleeding?"

"No, bugger off." George muttered, rolling away.

Fred smiled and stretched out, laying back on the grass, "At least we're out here, yeah?"

"You're right; we don't have a single problem in the world." George growled, sitting up suddenly, "Have you _completely-_"

"Look!" Fred said.

Two Muggles entered pulling another figure; the figure was handcuffed and a bag was secured over his head. When the Muggles handcuffed him and pushed him forward, he stumbled but righted himself. They quickly retreated as the wizard pulled off his hood, "What is this place?"

"The Muggles… know about us. They've captured us all." George said, "They tranquilized you."

"I'm sorry, what is tranquilized?"

George stepped forward and took Viktor by the wrist, turning his arm up; he found the tiny pin-prick and pointed to it, "What they did here, with what they call a _needle_. It puts you to sleep."

Viktor nodded, "I was at home visiting family; they only took me. I made sure."

"Family?" Fred asked amused, "I thought tough men like you were generally raised by rocks."

"Is Hermione alright?" Viktor asked, ignoring Fred, "Is she safe?"

"We… don't know." George said, "We've been a bit cut off."

Viktor looked down at the scabbed-over wound on George's middle, "The Muggles did this? Did you dress it?"

Fred and George glanced at each other then shrugged, "We don't know what to do." Fred said.

Viktor touched the area around the wound roughly and nodded, "There's no red, and it isn't… isn't… swollen."

George winced as Viktor poked him a few extra times, his Russian mind working for English words, "Yes could you stop poking it?"

Viktor glanced at the waterfall and looked back to George, "Keep it clean." He said, and then walked away to the water, cupping his hands under it.

"He's taking this well." Fred said.

"He's a wild man." George said, "Thank Merlin we've had Dad or we wouldn't even be able to start _learning_ about things like tranquilizers and needles."

"I wonder how Dad is." Fred said.

George flinched and looked away; he had already decided to keep Arthur's bargain a secret, especially from his emotionally fragile twin, "The same I suppose." He said.

"You're white." Viktor said as he returned, pushing George towards the plate of breads and vegetables left for them each day, "Eat."

"Like Mum." Fred said to George as they walked to the food, "Isn't he?"

"He's practically Madam Pomfrey."

"I must get out and find Hermione." Viktor called to them as he began to pace the enclosure, checking for structural weaknesses.

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"This is not exactly how I planned my year at Hogwarts." Angelina said, finally calmed down again, "I thought maybe I'd get a few Quidditch injuries or maybe Fred would ask me out or something. I didn't plan on seeing Katie Belle throw herself over a cliff to escape Muggles."

"That's not the sort of thing a girl plans on." Ginny said, "Anything yet Hermione?"

"I wish Viktor was here." Hermione said, lying back on the grass.

"That would probably simplify things a bit; he could just beat the Muggles senseless while we all ran away." Ginny said, "Since that's not a current _option_."

"I'm thinking as hard as I can!" Hermione snapped, "I'm not usually so low on options alright?"

"I just realized something." Angelina said.

"You've known where the Exit was all along?"

"We're starting to joke about this." Angelina said, "We're… _accepting_ it."

"Percy said I would accept it here." Ginny said, frowning, "He said I wouldn't want to leave."

"We're not accepting!" Hermione said, "If we stayed upset the entire time we'd go insane, and that would be letting the Muggles win!"

"If they win do we get to stop playing?" Angelina muttered, sitting heavily on the grass, "Because I'm up for forfeiting."

"Don't be an idiot." Hermione said, "We're not going to forfeit anything; we're going to _win_."

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"Goyle you _idiot_!" Malfoy snapped, "I said to stop _struggling_!"

"Well _my apologies_. I haven't had lessons on how to be a _ladder_!" Goyle snapped back, surprise Draco.

"I want to get up in this tree to have a look and I can't do it without some sort of a… a boost, alright?"

"I could; why don't you just get off and let me." Goyle said.

"Because you're too stupid to tell me what you see." Draco shot.

Goyle promptly stood up, spilling the blonde onto the dirty ground; he smirked and climbed into the tree with little effort, "You know… I think I see a Great White Poofter; I heard they're rare this time of year."

Draco scowled, "Thank you, Goyle. I hope you see more than that or this entire thing has been a waste of-"

"Snape! I see Snape and McGonagall… and Professor Lupin and Sirius Black. I don't know who the other two women are. One has pink hair, though. I can see… the Weasley twins and… Viktor Krum. How does that suit you your _majesty_?"

"Get out of the tree you great oaf before I knock you out." Draco snapped, "I never knew that you had such a smart mouth."

"You'd be amazed how much you can keep to yourself when you don't run your mouth." Goyle said, dusting himself off, "How are we getting out of here?"

"What?"

"I thought you were the one with all the ideas!" Goyle said, "You mean I've been following you without question and you've been a git this whole time?!"

"I liked you better when you didn't talk." Draco said miserably as he walked away from the tree, Goyle—as usual—at his heels.

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Snape laughed scornfully as Sirius tumbled from Lupin's shoulders with a thud, "I'm sorry I just thought our means of escape would be a bit more… thought out, being as we are Professors and all."

"Speak for yourself, Snivellus." Sirius said confidently as he stood, "_I_ prefer to think more abstractly."

"We aren't going to climb up and over the wall, gentlemen; besides, what would we do if we _did_ get over? What we need is-"

"A wand." Snape said thoughtfully, the only one brave enough to interrupt McGonagall, "Just one."

"Well if someone's granting wishes I want a change of robes." Sirius muttered.

"I think Severus might be on to something." McGonagall interrupted, "Severus?"

"I had my wand in my robes when I was taken by the Muggles; that means it is _here_ somewhere, in one of those dreadful buildings." Snape said, "One of us has to get to it… one of us has to get inside."

"How?" Lupin asked, his hand lingering a bit in Black's as he helped the man up.

"Injury." Snape said with a shrug, "Illness or maybe just… appealing to their scientific psychoses."

"Who do you think should do it?"

"I wouldn't concentrate on the wand at first; the Muggles have to be shown that we are not _weak_. They must be shown to leave us alone after we escape. The full moon is in two days."

"No." Sirius whispered.

"We've got to get Remus in there today or tomorrow; they'll strap him down, take a blood sample-"

"Severus."

"-and he'll kill them in two days." Snape finished, "After he comes back to his senses he can fetch our wands and we can get everyone out."

"Minerva!" Sirius cried.

"There's no other choice." McGonagall said, "They'll only capture more of us and keep coming back if they're not convinced we're dangerous… I'm sorry."

"Sirius." Lupin said.

"He _can't_ do that! He'd never be the s-same!" Sirius stumbled over words in his hysteria.

"Sirius!" Lupin shouted, "Let me talk for my bloody self!"

Sirius looked hurt, but sighed, "Talk then."

"I'll do it." Lupin said with a finality that caused a pregnant silence to take over the adults for a moment.

"Well then," Snape said, "We'd better figure out a way to get you inside."

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A/N: Oh my God I know it's short. Sorry of course but I'm going to need a whole other chapter to start off on the right foot since I wrote this one mostly for transitions and Viktor Krum show up-ness. Next Chapter: Everyone seems to be coming up with plans but which one will work? Romance starts (for those of you who've been asking) and violence is upped (for those of you disappointed in this chapter). Yay for romance and violence! Also, another new character! Can you guess who it is?!


	7. Fragilis Res

"I don't have to explain to you why this is wrong." Sirius said.

"I understand." Remus said, taking his friend's hand, "Do you?"

"This isn't our only option, Moony." Sirius said, "And what if they attack you like they did in the beginning?"

"That is already taken care of." Snape said, breaking in, "Why do you suppose the Muggles hit the Weasley boy in the head?"

"They killed him for fighting." Arabella said, "We've already-"

"I fought." Snape cut her off, "How about you, Remus, Sirius? Did you two fight?"

"As best we could without wands on hand." Sirius said, "What difference is there?"

"When we fought, they hit us with those darts; we went down immediately and proved no further threat. Why do you suppose they killed Weasley then?"

"If the darts weren't strong enough to take Bill Weasley down because he was... in a state of rage..." Arabella said.

"That would explain why they had to kill him." McGonagall finished, "And it would also stand to reason that the darts will not affect Remus."

"Then we can't send him!" Tonks said, standing, "They'll _kill_ him!"

"Idiot child they haven't the foggiest idea how to kill a werewolf, and even if they did they would put it off as myth!" Snape said, "Do you have any better ideas?!"

Tonks looked down and shook her head, walking away with Arabella Figg, "Then it is settled." McGonagall said quietly, "Only if you want to do so, Remus."

Sirius flinched when Lupin stepped forward and said, "I've already said that I wish to do it; I've thought out all of the consequences and it hasn't changed my mind."

"We'll bloody you up then, and the Muggles will take you inside to heal you; when the moon rises tonight: you'll save us all." Snape said.

Remus dropped Sirius' hand as he walked away with Snape, not wanting his dear friend to see him hurt.

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"If I told them I was pregnant they would have to bring me inside." Hermione said.

"You're only 15 Hermione!" Ginny argued.

"What do they know about Witches?" Hermione replied.

"This could work." Angelina said, "We've got something here."

"What good would it do you to get inside? You're just a girl without your wand." Ginny said, "We're not strong enough."

"I would expect you of all people to know how wrong that is." Hermione said, "We're _Witches_; we are ten times smarter than Wizards! I'll get in there and find a key or something... then I'll hide it."  
"What in your _hair_?" Ginny shot.

"Don't laugh until I've failed." Hermione said as she stood up.  
"How do you propose to get them out here so they can laugh at you?" Ginny asked.

"Draw a crowd." Angelina said, standing up, "Or stir the one we've already got up."

"How are you going to do that?" Ginny said.

"Well I would run around naked but the twins are just over there and that is the _last_ thing I want to be known for at Hogwarts." Angelina said.

Hermione looked slightly flushed, falling backwards to the ground suddenly, "Hermione!" Ginny cried, kneeling beside her and shaking her.

"She's dead!" Angelina yelled, "DEAD!"

As the two girls panicked a Muggle armed with his tranquilizer gun stepped into the enclosure, "Please you have to help, she's-"

"Pregnant!" Hermoine cried, sitting up, "You can't... you can't hit me with that dart because I'm pregnant. I can't have the baby alone out here... I need... attention! Um... Witches need their... mate or... or at least _someone_ to-"

"What's the father's name?" the Muggle asked dully.

"Excuse me?"

"The father's _name_." the Muggle repeated.

"Oh... Viktor Krum." Hermione spat out, shaking her head, "He's from my world; I'm afraid there's no way to locate him and so-"

"Come with me." The Muggle said, pulling Hermione to her feet; she waved giddily back to the other two girls as she was lead out of the display.

"Why didn't you tell me what she was planning?" Ginny cried, slapping Angelina's arm as the older girl laughed.

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"If you look like you are bleeding very much then they will come out and I can-" Viktor stopped as the display opened and a Muggle stepped in.

"UNHAND ME AT ONCE I AM WITH _CHILD_!" Hermione screeched, grunting as the Muggle shoved her forward and left the display.

Hermione stood and dusted herself off hastily, "Why _Hermione! _Why didn't you tell us?" Fred asked with a broad grin.

"Oh shut up Fred... Fred?!" Hermione looked up and frowned, then froze when she saw Viktor, "Viktor... oh my... hello!" she said, battling with her unruly hair.

"Hermione." Viktor said standing and walking to her, enveloping her in a protective hug, "Have they hurt you?"

"Well a little but I'm alright really." Hermione said, battling to pull her face away from the Bulgarian's broad chest, "_Really_ Viktor."

"How'd you manage getting in here?" George asked, sitting up on his elbows.

"What were you three _doing_?!"

"We were gonna poke George until he started bleeding again then beat up the guards when they came to fix him up." Fred said, "It was Viktor's idea. He wanted to find you, you see."

"Well I'm here now, and that is... indescribably unsanitary." Hermione said, sitting on the grass when Viktor released her.  
"How did you manage getting in here?" George asked, "Don't they keep us separated so we don't... well you know."

"They think I'm pregnant." Hermione said.  
"And they put you in here because...?"

"They think it's Viktor's." Hermione blurted, turning red.

Viktor cleared his throat, looking at his feet, "Well it isn't."

"Yes _thank_ you." Hermione said, "I just... gave them a name of someone I thought wasn't here. I didn't know they were going to go tossing me in here with you so we could be together when I had a baby!"

"Well you're not going to have one." Fred said, "Won't they figure that out?"

"Probably sooner rather than later, but I was going to get into the hospital building and find a key or wand and get us all out." Hermione said.  
"So we aren't the only ones with half-cocked bloody terrible plans." George said, rubbing absentmindedly at the tender flesh around his old wound.

"I suppose not." Hermione said quietly, laying her head back onto Viktor's chest as her spirits dropped quickly in realization.

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Draco crossed his arms as his face took its usual sour expression, "Why are you staring at me?" he snapped.

"I'm waiting for an idea." Goyle said, "Besides, do you think I want to sit over there with those three?"

Draco's eyes traced over the Lestranges, who had done nothing but sit and mutter since Crabbe's abduction, "I know I don't." he said, "I'd rather be with Professor Snape."

"What about your dad?" Goyle asked.

"I'd suspect that he is dead." Draco said, showing little compassion and no signs of mourning, "He's been gone far too long."

"But what-" Goyle started, silencing when the artificial stone slid aside and three male Muggles stepped in, "Hullo... what do you suppose they're up to?"

"Sh." Draco said, "Don't stand up, and don't look at them."

Goyle followed his orders, looking instead to the Lestrange three, all of which had stood and were advancing towards the Muggles, "Aren't they going to put them out?"

"They have to be awake for their aggression tests, _all_ of them." The Muggle said, walking over to the two boys to ensure they didn't attack, "We're all clear here."

"Jack." Another Muggle whispered, taking a step back, "Look at them."

"These two little ones can wait." The man Jack replied, "Stop fooling around before they get aggressive."

The Muggle hesitated before loading a small capsule into his tranquilizer gun and aiming for Bellatrix; a quiet whoosh of air sounded and Bella cried out, stumbling back into her husband. Rudolphus roared in anger, throwing himself forward as the third Muggle shot Rabastan. Another quick load and Rudolphus had stumbled back, but it didn't take long for the Lestrange men to get back on their feet, fueled by pain and the newly-injected neurotoxins flowing through their systems, "Hey look you two! Get them tranquilized!"

The Muggles shot a round of tranquilizers into the Wizards to no avail, and turned to look at Jack and Rudolphus reached one of them, taking his head in his hands and snapping his neck with a large crack, "SAM!" the second Muggle yelled.

"Your Uncle Rudolphus just _killed_ one of them!" Goyle said.

Draco nodded quickly, unable to speak as horror seized his heart, "SHOOT THEM ALLEN!" Jack cried, running across the display towards the scene, "TAKE HIM DOWN!"

Jack pulled his weapon from his belt and fired at Rudolphus; the projectile from his weapon was not a dart, but a bullet, and the large Wizard fell instantly, "They're alright." Goyle muttered, "It's going to be alright."

Draco blinked back tears and nodded again as his friend spoke, reaching quickly to grip Goyle's robes as he struggled to stay calm. Jack shot Rabastan next, leaving Bellatrix alive as he ran to the Muggle called Sam, dropping his gun and taking his pulse, "He's dead." Allen muttered, "Why didn't they arm us all?"

"They didn't suspect this." Sam said, closing his coworker's dead eyes with a gentle touch while Allen bent and picked up his gun, "What are you doing?"

Allen lifted the gun and aimed, firing a bullet into the female wizard and dropping the gun calmly, "I quit."

Goyle sat Indian style for what must have been an hour, watching the wave of Muggles that came and took the bodies; they cleaned the display of blood and gave Goyle many wary looks. Draco lay draped over Goyle's lap with his face hidden in his arms, sobbing and whimpering in fear; Goyle let him cry, giving the boy an occasional pat on the back.

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"LET GO OF ME YOU FILTHY MONSTERS!"

"Harry!"

The Boy Who Lived moved his head from under the water and listened, wiping water from his eyes, "Ron?!" he called loudly.

"Harry, come quick!" Ron shouted.

Harry struggled into his pants on as he ran from the waterfall, dripping wet and stumbling over himself while tripping blindly over numerous holes and rocks, "What is..."

"Harry!" Ron said, grabbing his friend and leading him over to a blurry figure on the ground, "Look who it is!"

"Are they related to you?" Harry asked, groping for a hint.

"Harry! Go get your glasses!" Ron said, pushing the boy away gently.

Harry ran back to the water and picked up his glasses, wiping them on his somewhat dry pants and putting them on. He hurried back to the scene and gasped, "Neville!"

"I yelled five times but apparently you're _deaf_ without your glasses too." Ron said from where he knelt next to the tall boy.

Harry observed the ugly bruise rising on Neville's arm around a small pinhole, "They really got him."

"He was on his way out when they brought him in here, only had one good yell in him really." Ron said.

"I didn't think Neville had _any_ good yells in him." Harry said, adjusting his glasses, "Hey Neville! Neville can you hear me?"

Neville stirred slightly and opened his eyes, "Harry... Ron?"

"There you are! Wow you sure gave those Muggles a fight huh?" Ron said.

"They killed my Gran." Neville said in a stupor, "I saw it... they took her and Dumbledore away because they were too... too old, said it was... was..."

"Was what Neville?" Ron asked, Harry unable to speak.

"Humane."

"He's confused because of the poison." Harry said, "Dumbledore isn't dead. Neville, what really happened?"

The boy was out again, his dark hair falling in his eyes as he slept, "Harry-"

"Don't." Harry cut the red-haired boy off, standing and storming away.

"I hope you're wrong Neville." Ron said, "I really hope you are."

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"Are you alright Narcissa?"

Narcissa looked up at her husband and nodded, moving her hand from her forehead, "I have a headache; that's all." She assured. After a moment she spoke again, "Lucius? Where… where is Draco? I swear I saw him only a moment ago. I can never keep up with that boy anymore."

Lucius looked at Narcissa in confusion, "Narcissa they took him two days ago."

She shook her head and looked down at her hands, "Of course… I don't know why I asked that."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Lucius asked, walking over to sit beside his wife.

Narcissa smiled and took his hand, "I'm just very tired dear."

Lucius kissed her gently and looked into her eyes with concern; had the Muggles taken more than Draco when they moved his wife?

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Arthur smiled to himself as his thoughts carried him far from his ghastly imprisonment, back to the burrow, back to Molly and the children. After exposing Arthur to the 'elements', the Muggles had strapped Arthur to a gurney in the staff-occupied part of the laboratory to rest. It was far more humane a confinement than the small glass-encased rooms, for the straps were padded, and Arthur could entertain himself by observing the Muggle scientists he had never seen. The Muggles in this room were different, and they spoke to Arthur, treating him not as an equal, but a somewhat intelligent living thing. With the knowledge that his wife and children were at least safe, and a new spot in a warm room with far softer lighting, Arthur could enjoy what little social stimulation the Muggles provided. Arthur was jerked from his thoughts when a door slammed open and three Muggles rushed in from the night, "We need a gurney and a vet over here _now_!" one of them said.

The Muggles placed what they had been carrying onto a nearby gurney and Arthur recognized him, "Remus what happened?" He whispered.

Remus Lupin moved his head slowly to look at Arthur, blood laced down the side of his head from an injury close to his temple and more blood pooled on his lips; when Lupin spotted Arthur his eyes widened in terror and his jaw worked as though he were trying to speak, but only gasps escaped the Wizard.

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A/N: Oh no not Daddy Weasley! gasp Ok I realize that now I'm just being evil. So what did everyone think? There was humor, death, gore, cliffhangers and most importantly: Neville! I think I've gotten everyone in the zoo that's going to be there but don't hold me to that. Yes I ignored Molly and Percy and Charlie this chapter and no, I won't do it in the next one. Next Chapter: A werewolf, display changes and what's wrong with Narcissa Malfoy.


	8. Vita Temporis

A/N: This is the first before-chapter Author's Note I've written but I wanted to let you guys know that there will be a lot of gore. There will also be nonsexual nudity (meaning it won't be described and there won't be any naughtiness). It will be tasteful and only necessary as always.

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Percy stared up at the haunting beauty of the full moon, enjoying the weak night breeze that cooled his freckled skin and ruffled his red hair. It was a warm night, more so than those before it, and Percy had discarded his robes to lie shirtless in the soft grass; Molly sat alone on the far end of the display, close to the entrance so that she could be the first to greet her husband upon his return. Percy uttered an almost silent cry and shot to his feet suddenly; Charlie's mouth was tugged into a smirk as he stood before his younger brother, "Afraid?"

"Charlie!" Percy whispered, standing quickly, "You're ...awake!"

"How long was I asleep?" Charlie asked, walking around his little brother almost as though sizing him up.

"I think a week or so." Percy said, trying to maintain eye contact with Charlie by spinning slowly, "What are you doing?"

"Is this all of us that's left?"

"Well-" Percy started.

"Do you believe in life after death, Percy?"

Percy took a step back, frowning, "What do you mean?"

"What do _you_ mean?"

Charlie's smirk faded and he leapt onto Percy without warning, rolling with his brother on the ground as he scratched and at times attempted to bite him, "Charlie, _stop_!" Percy cried.

Charlie began to scream, a frightening inhuman sound not unlike the one Ron had uttered in his first days at the zoo; Molly was startled, "CHARLIE!" she cried from where she sat afraid to move. Charlie stopped and rose instantly, staring ahead as if in a trance; he rushed to his mother and collapsed with his head in her lap. Molly stroked his back as he cried, "It's alright dear. Percy, are you alright?" she called, her hand shaking with fear as she placed it on the back of Charlie's head.

"Yes." Percy said weakly as he stood and stumbled away.

The boy moved as far away from his mother as he could before he sat heavily in the grass and looked himself over. Reality set in when the scratches began to sting angrily; Percy wrapped his arms around himself and cried as quietly as he could. Percy wanted to scream but he forced himself to be strong; Arthur was gone and there was little hope of his return.

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It was a nightmare; why hadn't they thought of this? Lupin employed every muscle in his body to push against the doctors that held him down but could hardly move. Lupin cursed Severus for going so far. It was possible that the Muggles wouldn't have kept him inside if his injuries had been less, but there was one fact they hadn't counted on: Arthur Weasley. Lupin shook his head as the Muggles began to work on him. They stitched the gaping wound on the side of his head, moving his head to the side and Lupin coughed loudly, spitting out a mouthful of blood onto the crimson-spattered floor, "He has to leave... help him!"

"Remus old friend what's happened to you?" Arthur asked, leaning towards Lupin as far as the restraints would allow.

"Severus... his plan-"

Arthur flinched as Lupin sputtered again, a very fine spray of blood escaping the werewolf and smattered the red-haired Wizard's face. Arthur ignored the gore and spoke again, "What plan Remus?"  
"It's happening Arthur." Lupin choked, "I'm going to... change."

"You can fight it, Remus; _try_." Arthur urged.

"I'm sorry Arthur... we didn't... know." Lupin said as short bristling hairs began to spread down his face and neck.

"Remus." Arthur pressed, "REMUS!"

"The six of us can handle this." One Muggle said to one of the female nurses, "Get Case Twenty out of here and clean him up."

Arthur struggled against his restraints as the woman moved him from the room, "REMUS FIGHT IT! DON'T DO THIS!"

The woman slid the security bolt into place after closing the door behind them and checked her tranquilizer gun before walking to a large closet and fetching a white cloth. She wet it under the water and attempted to wipe the blood away as Arthur struggled, "Now really is this that bad?"

"I am perfectly _capable_ of washing blood from my face!" Arthur spat, "My friend is going to _kill_ them if you don't lock him up!"

The woman smiled as she continued to clean Arthur's face, "You'll feel better after we get this blood off of you; don't worry."

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"Dumbledore wouldn't let a bunch of Muggles kill him; _Voldemort_ couldn't even kill him!" Harry snapped.

"I saw them." Neville said, "They said they were too old to be of use. Why do you keep asking me to talk about it?"

"Well maybe you're lying." Harry said calmly.

"Why would I lie?"

"Perhaps you're just off your head." Harry suggested.

"There's nothing wrong with my head! Do you want a fight?!"

"Of course not Neville." Harry said, backing away a step.

"I know what happened." Neville said.

"I believe you Neville." Ron said quietly.  
"RUBBISH!" Harry shouted, "And this isn't about making anyone _feel_ better, Ron! He's a _git_ and he deserves to know it!"

"I am _not-_"

Ron stood between them, facing Harry, "If this isn't about making anyone feel better than stop trying to comfort your self by pretending Dumbledore's alive!"

Harry swung at Ron and the tall boy managed to duck under it, but he was still weak from his beating days before and he fell backwards into Neville. Neville held Ron up and helped him stand, glaring at Harry, "Isn't it bad enough that everyone in my family is _dead_? Do you have to go on about me being a git on top of it all?"

Realization flickered across Harry's face as Neville went around him and stormed off; Harry sank to his knees, expecting Ron to comfort him, but the red-haired boy rushed off after Neville, leaving The Boy Who Lived alone to ponder what he had done.

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Snape glanced sickly at his hands, wiping them on the grass near where he sat; the dark man looked purposefully away from the spot behind the rock where Lupin's blood stained the grass. Snape had rinsed his hands instantly, before letting the blood dry, and yet his hands and probably his arms up to his elbows were stained a dirty orange. Snape began to relive every blow he had landed upon Lupin; Snape blamed himself for being too rough. When they were children, Sirius had led Snape to Lupin during his transformation in order to kill him, and one ill turn deserved another. Despite his hatred for Sirius, he had never truly felt any true negativity towards Lupin, and his plan had truly been formulated for escape. He would never use a serious time like this for childish revenge, but Snape _would_ have his revenge upon Sirius Black. Guilt mixed with anger as the former Deatheater continued to state at his bloodied hands, "Do you think he's done it?"

Snape hid his hands quickly beneath his robes and glanced up at Sirius, "I suppose he has; it's been an hour since the moon rose."

"Did you... hurt him badly?" Sirius asked, trying to seem casual.

Snape stared up at the man for a moment, a monstrous sneer crossing his face, "Yes I hurt him _badly_; I bashed his head in. Would you care to see the blood?" he demanded, shoving his hands towards the man, "Look here! Some of this came from his head, some his mouth... eventually there was too much blood to identify. I'd doubt if he even lived long enough to reach the building."

"Severus?"

Snape snapped back to himself, pulling himself out of his thoughts and wishing those words had truly escaped his lips, but fantasy was simply that, and Sirius Black was still awaiting his answer, "Not badly, no."

Sirius sat beside Snape, leaning back on his hands, "I can only imagine what this will do to him."

"He will be fine."

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"Look at this sir!"

A Muggle who seemed in charge hurried over, observing the hair growth on Lupin's face, "Uh sir?" another Muggle asked, "Something… something's wrong."

Lupin's hands, clenched into fists, had elongated and suddenly opened, claws erupting from the nail beds; Lupin uttered a grunt of pain and closed his eyes as his teeth began to sharpen, "We do have video on this, right?" the doctor asked.

"Of course." One Muggle assured, "But-"

With a jerk of his arms Lupin destroyed the restraints holding down his wrists; he sat up and grabbed the nearest Muggle. With a quick twist he snapped the man's neck; the wolf in him had taken over by now, and his need to lash out was uncontrollable. Uttering an ear-shattering howl Lupin fell back onto the gurney, arching his back as the pain worsened near the completion of his transformation. The Muggles struggling to hold him down now were easily thrown away, and once the transformation completed itself, Lupin slipped free of the leg restraints and landed heavily on the white tiled floor. Three Muggles had fled, leaving two in the room with the werewolf; Lupin dove onto the closest and tore out his throat. The doctor in the room rushed quickly to the door and pressed the lockdown button; outside, steel doors slammed down and sealed the building shut. Lupin was on him instantly, and his body left a bloody streak on the wall. The werewolf occupied himself afterwards by reducing his victims to nothing but gore, taking out Lupin's subconscious rage against his captors on their already mangled bodies.

The nurse who had been with Arthur stepped into the room and closed the heavy door behind her, "Is he still struggling? I heard… oh my God."

The werewolf turned and snarled violently; the Muggle woman threw herself towards the small holding cell that Fred had occupied mere days before, locking the door quickly and flinging the keys out into the main area. Lupin followed her inside and she turned, slamming the door and trapping them inside even as she felt Lupin's murderous claws sink into the flesh of her back.

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"Draco?" Goyle said.

"What?" Draco muttered, quickly wiping his red face.

"The Muggles are back." Goyle said, "You have to get up."

Draco sat up as if Goyle were a flame, "I... fell asleep." He said quickly.

Goyle gave the blonde a tolerant and gentle look, standing to his feet slowly, "They're coming for us."

"Don't fight them." Draco said, standing up slowly.

"They're _coming _for us." Goyle said, stepping forward.

Draco grabbed his arm and pulled him back quickly, "What am I supposed to do if they separate us?" he scolded, "Just do what they want and they'll leave us alone."

Two Muggles from the day before had entered the display, and were walking towards the boys; the first took Goyle by the arm. The large boy jerked but remained otherwise still, catering to Draco's wishes. Once they were inside the laboratory they were led into a small room less white than the others and stripped of their clothing. Both boys were then ushered into a six by ten foot room and one Muggle pushed Draco so forcefully that Goyle had to grab his arm to keep him from slipping on the suspiciously wet floor, "Bastard." Goyle said under his breath.

Clear liquid suddenly poured from the pin-holed ceiling onto the boys, "They're going to kill us! It's poison!" Draco cried, "Do something!"

Goyle frowned thoughtfully and stuck his tongue out to catch some of the liquid, "Draco..."

"I'll never see my mother again!" Draco was yelling.

"DRACO!" Goyle shouted over the falling water.

"What is it?!" Draco said, spinning around.

"It's only water." Goyle said, "They're just... cleaning us."

Draco looked up, blinking the water from his eyes for a moment before looking down, his face flushing with embarrassment, "Oh."

When the water stopped falling and only a faint dripping broke the silence, the Muggles opened the large glass door and gave both of the boys a pair of jeans which they quickly put on. Their robes were also shoved into their arms as they were marched silently to a different display; Draco squinted in the sun as a heavy door shut behind them, "This is different. Where are we now?"

"I don't know." Goyle muttered, raising an eyebrow when his eyes came to rest on Neville Longbottom napping in the sun, "We're not alone."

"Hey!" a voice called.

Draco spun around to see Ron Weasley and Harry Potter rushing to them, "Hey yourself,_ Potter_."

Harry seemed honestly stumped to see them, "We thought you Deatheaters were in on this."

"I'm not a _Deatheater_." Draco snapped, "And why would we be 'in' on this?"

"You-Know-Who probably just sent you here to spy!" Ron shot, "Well we're not telling you _anything_!"

"Ron..."

"You can just go back to your Dark Lord and tell him to piss off!" Ron spat.

"Ron!" Harry insisted.

"What?"

Harry pointed, guiding his friend's gaze to the old scratches lacing Draco's arms, and the bruises on Goyle's arms, "Look."

Ron stepped forward and took Draco's wrist, spotting the familiar needle hole before the blond jerked away, "Satisfied?! For once we have a common enemy, Weasley."

"Then there's no need to fight." Harry said, stretching as he walked away.

Neville walked over to the group of boys sleepily, "Why's everyone shouting?"

"We have some new company." Ron said, turning and following Harry.

"Are you going to insult us as well, Longbottom?" Draco asked, crossing his arms defensively.

Neville looked at the boys for a moment before muttering, "Don't you think we've all been insulted enough?" and going back to his sleeping spot.

The two boys exchanged glances for a moment before dropping their robes and sitting heavily on the grass, "It could be worse." Draco said.

"Always." Goyle agreed.

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"You know that I've had headaches for a while now, and it's no wonder I'm exhausted with all that we've been through." Narcissa said, "It's nothing special Lucius."

"I think we should-"

"Ask the Muggles for help?" Narcissa spat, "I would rather die."

"If you're certain, love." Lucius surrendered with a sigh.

Narcissa grabbed his arm suddenly, "Something's wrong."

"What is it?"

"I don't know... for a moment I... I couldn't see." Narcissa whispered, "I wish we were home, Lucius."

Lucius pulled his wife to him and kissed her forehead, "We will be, soon"

"Do you suppose the Muggles have done something to me?"

"Sh now love, it's going to be alright." Lucius comforted, "You're only tired; you should sleep."

"Yes I'll... feel better when I wake up." Narcissa agreed.

Lucius kissed her hand before she left him, then stood and walked as close to the glass as he could without falling into the gap, and prepared himself for a long sleepless night of pacing.

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A/N: Well if you guys made it through that one there's nothing you can't do! The next chapter will see some more drastic changes for our characters to face, and hopefully a little more happiness.


	9. Victus Mortuus

Tears slid down Narcissa's cheeks as she walked along the wall, her fingertips running along the rocks; Lucius slept in the grass not far off. She smiled as she watched him, knowing their time together was short. Her headaches had grown worse, and since she had awoken she'd had five instances of utter confusion, unable to remember where they were or why. A buzzing began to tingle in the back of her mind and the tips of her fingers; she blinked as her sight left her. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall heavily.

Lucius awoke seconds later, looking over to his wife, "Good morning, love; how are you feeling?"

Narcissa grew rigid suddenly, sinking to the ground as her body was overtaken with violent shudders; Lucius was at her side in an instant, but unable to wake her. He stood and ran to the false rock where a door was hidden, "YOU HAVE TO HELP HER! SHE'S DYING!" he shouted desperately.

Two Muggles rushed through the door almost before he had finished his sentence; they had been watching. Lucius backed away and raised his hands slightly in a position of surrender so that they would ignore him and go directly to her. The male Muggle picked Narcissa up and carried her from the exhibit; Lucius made to follow but the female Muggle—the one he'd tried to kill before—placed a hand on his chest, "You have to stay here big boy. We'll fix her but you have to stay; I know you understand."

Lucius took a step back and she left the exhibit; once all was silent he sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands, his quiet sobs slowly becoming a fearsome wail as he cried.

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Lupin smiled in his sleep as he dreamed of freedom, and of Sirius; the sun was shining on his face and they had been reunited. A strange metallic smell lingered in Lupin's subconscious and he did his best to ignore it, but after much fighting, he awoke and opened his eyes. Lupin squeezed his eyes shut an instant later, praying that the blurry impression he'd gotten of his surroundings had been wrong. He stood, careful to keep his eyes closed, and groped for a wall to lean against before slowly opening his eyes again. Blood, red and thick, was all the he saw for a long time; it coated the glass walls and cut him off from the outside save for a few clear spots here and there. After searching the dark room he saw the body of what might have been a female Muggle were it not so scattered and ravaged. Lupin himself was covered in blood as well, and when he struggled to peer through one of the cleaner spots in the glass, he saw Muggles outside clearing up more blood from the larger room. Snape's plan had worked; Lupin _had_ managed to kill, to _massacre_ the Muggles that had tried to help him, but now he was trapped in a small room with no hope of escape from their captors _or_ the mess he had made. He gazed down at the woman on the floor; she had locked herself inside with him to prevent his escape; she was a hero in her own right, and Lupin had torn her apart. A dull stinging sensation brought Lupin's attention to the fact that some of the blood was his own, and after he had finished with the woman, he'd taken to attacking himself. As the man lowered himself to the floor, sitting amongst the horror that he had created, he contemplated his own execution. They would not let such a monster live, Lupin knew that much; he only hoped that someone would be left to take care of Sirius. Black had a scruffy charming way about him, but Lupin knew how reckless and childish he could be when he was angry. A sharp tapping brought Lupin back to himself, and he realized that two Muggles were standing just outside the glass, watching him, "What happened was a _mistake_." Lupin said as he stood and stepped forward, "It won't happen again... well for a while, you see-"

The door slid open suddenly and the two Muggle men flinched in disgust, "My God, look what he's done to _her_."

"Best put him out and transfer him until they can get this place cleaned up; I'll order a blood test and we can go over those tapes again."

Lupin winced as the dart caught him in the chest just below his neck; he stumbled backwards to lean against the far wall before darkness took him.

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"Well it's been two days; that's a lot longer than I expected." Hermione said thoughtfully with a slight frown.

"You give the Muggles too much credit." Fred said, "They're not as smart as they like to think."

"Maybe something's distracting them." George suggested, "They haven't been out to check my side today."

"Rubbish." Fred said, "Who would want to come out everyday and look at your stupid _side_?"

"Isn't it a lovely day?" Hermione asked as she watched the twins tussle.

Viktor pulled her against him, causing her to smile, "_You_ are lovely."

Hermione blushed and pulled her knees to her chest, "What are you going to do? When we get out of here, I mean."

"I will return to my life, I suppose." Viktor said, "Wait for you to finish your time at Hogwarts."

Hermione laughed, not used to getting so much attention, especially of this sort, "Well hopefully I'll manage that within the next few years."

"I do hope we're invited to the wedding." Fred said, "I have the feeling we'll all be in need of a good party once we're free of here."

George had grown quiet and sat on the grass, staring out through the glass, "What will they do with us when it gets cold out?"  
"Give us a blanket to share and wish us luck?" Fred suggested, "We won't be here then at any rate."

"How can you be so sure?" George asked bitterly.

Fred patted his brother's shoulder as he sat down next to him, "Because I'm the optimist, Georgey-boy, besides, these two are already making wedding plans. You want to _be_ there, don't you?"

George stared at his brother for a long time before scowling, "Don't call me that."

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"You've watched the video at least a dozen times then?" the zoo's owner said with mild annoyance.

"As you ordered." The technician replied grimly, "He just… turns into a wolf almost instantly after the nurse removed Case 20 from the room. I can't explain it, and neither can the scientists."

"Do you have any speculations?" the owner asked.

"He's a werewolf?" the technician offered with a chuckle.

"I hardly think now is the time for joking."

"Yes sir."

"He possibly suffers from Lycanthropy, a disease that makes the sufferer _believe_ they are transforming into an animal. The tape is scrambled and it could be in your imagination as much as it is his." The owner said.

"What about Case 2? The blonde female we took in this morning? Is it… is it cancer?"

"Of course it's cancer." The owner replied, "The Head of Medicine said he wouldn't even try to operate; the tumor's so big that even opening her up would probably kill her instantly."

"Are they going to euthanize her?" the technician asked.

"They've given her a heavy dose of pain medication and sent her back to the husband; she won't last until the evening." The owner said, "There's no need to take her away, but we _have_ closed off the exhibit from viewers today. She doesn't need to be under any extra stress."

"Of course." The technician said solemnly.

The owner hardened and slapped the man's arm firmly, "I don't want you feeling sorry for some animal; I want you figuring out what _happened _last night! Get on it!"

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"Mum I don't think it's safe to assume that he won't attack you." Percy said.

"Has he yet?"

"Well no." Percy said.

"Then _shush_ about it." Molly ordered, "Your father will return soon; your brother will be fine until then."

"Dad _isn't_ coming-" Percy started.

"I hope that I'm not interrupting anything."

"Arthur!" Molly cried, leaving Charlie's side and rushing to her husband, "What have they done to you?!"

"I've never been better." Arthur said with a gentle smile as he glanced around the exhibit, "Where's Ginerva?"

Molly closed her eyes and shook her head, "They took her, dear."

"They drugged us first." Percy added, "Welcome back, Dad."

Arthur patted his son's shoulder firmly, "Thank you Percy, and there's no need to worry about Ginny. She's fine."

"How can you be so certain, Arthur?" Molly asked.

Arthur was quiet at first, not wanting to speak of his deal with their captors, "I just know, Molly. Charlie's awake?"

"About that-"

"He woke up yesterday." Molly confirmed, "Threw a fit and attacked his brother; he's not _right_ Arthur. I don't know what it is but he's fine with me."

"Is it just you then?"

"I wouldn't risk it, Dad." Percy warned, "He scratched me up something terrible, and with no reason."

"He'll get better, Percy." Arthur said, "We'll leave him be for now; he needs time."

"I'm so happy you're with us again, Arthur." Molly said through tears, "I wasn't sure you were _coming _back."

"I would never leave you." Arthur assured.

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_A/N: Hestia Jones' name changed to Arabella Figg. See author's note in Chapter 10 for full details!_

Arabella Figg trembled as she was pushed gently into a strange rolling chair before a desk, "Hello, my name is Roy Higgins; I own the zoo… Arabella Figg, is it?"

She nodded quickly, "Y-yes that's right."

The man smiled at her and placed a piece of paper on his desk before her, "You're free to go."

"I'm sorry?" she asked, bewildered.

"Your blood tests, genetic profiling, aggression tests are all very consistent with the fact that your genes don't possess any magical quality." The Muggle said simply, "Now if you will just sign this form, I've already arranged for escort of your _police_... to return you home."

"My police? You mean an Auror?" Arabella asked, "Does that mean that there's someone in the Wizarding world who knows where I _am_?"

The man smiled mysteriously and offered her a pen, "Sign here Ms. Figg."

"What does all this mean?" she asked, skimming the writing.

"It's an agreement, Arabella; you will not attempt to rescue the others here, or gather a group in order to do so. You will not repeat what you've seen, heard or learned here and you will never speak of your time here."

"What if I refuse those terms?"

"We will have to ask you to remain here with us." The Muggle replied.  
"Ask?"

The man smiled again, "All we have ever done is ask, Ms. Figg."

"Of course." Arabella replied bitterly.

"We have little worry of a ... what is it? A _squib_ causing much trouble for us here; they don't tend to be taken seriously do they?"

Arabella stared at her feet, "I suppose they don't."

"Sign it, Ms. Figg; sign it and be free of this place." The man said gently.

Arabella hesitated for what seemed like hours before grabbing the pen from his hand and signing the paper, "There."

The Muggle looked to one of the guards at the door, "Thank you Ms. Figg. We'll put you up in a hotel until your escort arrives tomorrow morning; you've done the right thing."

Arabella Figg stood slowly and left the room with the guard, her eyes never leaving the floor.

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"This can't be right." Tonks said as she paced back and forth, "First Lupin and now Arabella? Where are they all _going_?"

"Have a seat, Nymphadora." McGonagall said, making it clear that she was telling, not asking.

Tonks sat with hesitation, sparing a hateful glance at Snape, who simply rolled his eyes and turned to stare out at the Muggles, "Why are we all simply _sitting_?" Tonks said, "We should be _doing_ something!"

"The last thing we did was send Lupin away; would you not prefer waiting?" McGonagall asked coldly.

Tonks turned then to Sirius, "This is _your_ fault, Sirius!"

"My fault?!" Sirius demanded, "How so?!"

"This never would have happened-"

"I've been against his plan since it first came up! You know that!" Sirius cried, "How can you say otherwise?!"

"It was Severus's plan, yes, and it was monstrous, but isn't it _you_ who tortured him when you were children?! _You_ who sent him to Lupin on a full moon? James Potter had to _save_ him! You've made him a monster and now you expect him to-"

"I believe I can speak for myself when it is necessary." Snape said, standing.

"Of course you can, wouldn't want me to _pity_ you; that might make you _weak_ again! People could start to bully you if you weren't so strong and cold and _reserved_!" Tonks spat.

"THAT IS _ENOUGH_!" Snape shouted, anger reddening his face.

Minerva shook her head and rested her head in her hands, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop their fighting. Sirius jumped to his feet as Snape shouted, "So that's it then?! You sent Lupin away to _punish_ me?! YOU GOT HIM KILLED FOR _REVENGE_?!"

"I did no such thing." Snape said, struggling to control his anger, "Revenge is a coward's game."

"I don't recall you ever being particularly _valiant_, Snivellus." Black said coldly, "Perhaps you could refresh my memory?"

Snape's hands curled into fists but he turned away, walking away from the others and up towards the corner far from the Muggles, a place to be alone.

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Draco wrapped his arms around his knees, "They haven't said anything since we got here."

"They're afraid we're watching them." Goyle said, "Rightfully so."

"_Rightfully_?"

"When have we ever done something without the intent of spying, insulting or hurting Potter or one of his friends?" Goyle asked, "Isn't it about time we put that all behind us? It's not Slytherin against Gryffindor anymore; it's us against the Muggles. If we lose we _die_."

"When did you get so observant?" Draco said bitterly.

"I just think its time we were-"

"Hey!" Neville said loudly, interrupting Goyle, "Do you eat?"

"What?" Draco asked, turning to the boy.

Neville held out a pomegranate towards them, "I said do you eat. There's fresh fruit and it's too hot to leave it sit for long."

"Thanks." Goyle said, standing up and holding out his hand.

Neville tossed him the fruit and nodded, taking a bite of his apple, "You're welcome." He said with his mouthful, turning to walk back to Harry and Ron.

"Are you going to eat it or just scowl at it?" Goyle asked.

Draco turned and saw Goyle holding the fruit out to him, "What about you?"

"I'll let you get it open; I always did have problems with them." He admitted, sitting back down.

Draco smirked and took the pomegranate, pulling some of the peel and flesh from the fruit to expose the first layer of seeds, "What would you ever do without me?" he asked haughtily.

"Eat apples."

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Lucius held Narcissa against him where they sat against the rock wall; she closed her eyes and smiled, "I could help you if I had my wand." He said quietly.   
"Don't be so certain, dear." Narcissa said quietly, her voice a soft whisper, "We're Wizards; we're not immortal."

"I would give my money, our estate my own _name_. I would be called a Weasley to save you, Narcissa; let the Muggles take anything but you from me."

"It wasn't the Muggles, Lucius. I've been this way for much longer." Narcissa said, "Do you remember... a week before we came here. I slapped Draco; his cheek was red for hours."

"You did what was right; he deserved it the way he was talking to you." Lucius argued, refusing to accept her words.

"Even so, when have I ever struck him before? He's said so many things far worse than what he said that day but... I was so angry. I wasn't myself at all; I'd had the headaches that day as well."

Tears filled Lucius' eyes and he shook his head slowly, "Narcissa."

"It doesn't hurt anymore, Lucius; the Muggles said it wouldn't. There was a woman who spoke with me... she was kind and intelligent and beautiful. I wouldn't have guessed by her demeanor that she would be one of them. I'm dying and the only thing they could think of was how to save me; I would never have imagined it like this. I want you to promise me something, Lucius, something important."

"Anything." Lucius said, kissing her hand, his tears wetting her pale skin.

"Don't let our son grow up like we did. Don't let Draco grow up with hate and anger and... and fear. Teach him to love like you love me, and keep him away from the Deatheaters."

"Narcissa."

"_Promise_ me Lucius!" she interrupted, frowning, "I'm dying and there isn't much time; don't let me die without promising me."

"I promise, of course I promise. I would make the Unbreakable Vow if that were possible." Lucius assured.

"We don't need magic for an Unbreakable Vow between us, Lucius." Narcissa said, touching his face, "I love you."

"I love you too, Narcissa." Lucius whispered, kissing her forehead and laying his head against hers.

Her weight shifted to lean entirely against him and he knew she was gone; he held her against him, refusing to open his eyes as he began to cry harder. Every muscle in his body trembled as the silent sobs stole his breath; a cold breeze swept over the weeping man, signaling the onslaught of Autumn.

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A/N: Ok this one was crazy emotional and you'll probably all have comments. Feel free to yell, scream, cry and whatever you need to do. I had a lot of 'fun' writing this chapter so any response is appreciated. Some of you were just dancing around the truth weren't you? Stick around for the next chapter and see what the Muggles have up their sleeves _now_!


	10. Relinquo Ovis

A/N: Look another before-chapter note! Well first off I wanted to note that it has indeed been a week and a half since the werewolf incident and the departure of Arabella, Narcissa's death etc. Also, there will be some suggestion (suggestion, mind you!) of homosexuality. There will not be any demonstrated and it is used as a scientific term so if you're offended by homosexuality you will not be offended by this chapter, or any others to follow. Don't worry: trust me! Oh and on another note there's been a name change (Hestia Jones to Arabella Figg) because I'm retarded! Hurray for mental illness.

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"I don't think she's _coming _back." Angelina said, "It's been _two weeks_."

"Oh nonsense, Muggles can't be _that_ stupid." Ginny said, "They've probably killed her."

Angelina stiffened, "Don't say that!"

"I'm tired of keeping quiet so that you won't snap!" Ginny shrieked, standing up. "Just get over it and stop being such a git!"

Angelina stared at the girl for a moment before scowling, "What did you call me?"

"A bloody useless _git_!" Ginny snapped.

Angelina jumped on the younger girl, forcing her to the ground, "You messed with the wrong witch, Weasley!"

The girls clawed, slapped and pulled hair for all they were worth, not noticing the Muggles in the enclosure until one hauled Angelina to her feet and cuffed her, leading her from the enclosure, "Bring her back!" Ginny shouted as they left, "I WASN'T DONE WITH HER!"

The door opened again and Ginny winced, expecting some sort of punishment, but instead an unconscious figure was laid down in front of the entrance and the Muggles retreated quickly. Ginny stepped forward and the figure jerked once, sitting up quickly, "GET OFF OF... oh... h-hi Ginny." Neville said, looking down.

"Neville." Ginny said, "You're not a _girl_."

"Uh... no."

"What are you doing in here?!" Ginny demanded.

"Well with all due respect I didn't throw _myself_ in here you know." Neville said as he stood up, towering over the red-haired girl.

"I know that." Ginny said, crossing her arms, "I just meant... why'd they move you? Do you know?"

"They said something about..." Neville turned a strange red color and shook his head, "I don't know."

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"Breeding?" The owner asked, looking at the papers set before him.

"Breeding." The doctor agreed with a shrug, "I don't see why not; most of our specimens are young, healthy individuals. This would mean not having to import any more of them."

"Then match them up and get them going." The owner said.

"Already done, we paired up six of them this morning and if the matches are off we're willing to switch out males for more compatible ones." The doctor boasted, "We've been researching for some time to get the perfect matches; now I'm not sure but we're estimating the gestation period to be somewhere between eight and ten months and a bonding period of about a month or two."

"That means we could have brand new baby Wizards for the start of the school year bus-trips." The owner said with a fond smile as he signed the papers, "Too bad it isn't February, the way you've been match-making."

"Love _is_ in the air, sir." The doctor laughed, picking up his papers and leaving.

"Love is in the air, indeed." The owner said, looking up when the doctor entered the room again, "What is it now? Shouldn't you be out stirring them up?"

"There are a few problem cases, sir." The doctor said quickly, "A few that have... conditions."

"How many?"  
"Ten altogether, sir." The doctor said.

"Ten?!" the owner demanded, "How can there be ten?"

"Well sir _one_ specimen is too old for breeding, Cases 20 and 21 already have six young here at the zoo. Case 14 and Case 15 suffer from the Lycanthropy and Case 1 just lost his female; he'll probably be out of business until next season. Case 11 is extremely unsociable and then there are... a few others."

"Go on." The owner urged.

"Case 25 is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and is aggressive to other specimens; Case 14 and 15-"

"The Lycanthropes?"

"Yes sir well they... are very close with... each other." The doctor said, "The same problem stands with Cases 3 and 10."

"Well that _is_ a problem." The owner muttered, "You're saying they are _attracted_ to each other then?"

"Possibly, no actual research has been done based on the two younger males, but," The doctor confirmed, "the boys are young and could be rehabilitated if we take special care to do so."

"_Do_ so then! I want them in this clinic in twenty minutes if you have to!" the owner demanded, "I don't want the same problem the San Diego zoo had with their gay penguins and I would appreciate if I were _spared_ the embarrassment."

"Yes sir."

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"I don't see why they took Longbottom; he wasn't doing anything wrong." Draco said, crossing his arms.

"Maybe he wasn't interesting enough." Goyle offered, "He mostly slept."

"Like you _don't_ you lazy oaf?" Draco said, "I haven't seen you move all day."  
"Well there isn't anything else to do." Goyle replied.

"Hey guys!" Ron said, rushing up, "Neville's gone!"

"We saw them." Draco said, nodding.  
"You didn't _fight_ them?!" Ron demanded, and then nodded when Draco gave him a withering look, "I know... I'm sorry. Where do you think they took him?"  
"My best guess is through that little door." Draco said, smirking.

"They were talking about putting him with a girl when they left." Goyle said, "They're going to try to make little ones."

Ron looked disgusted, "Babies? But we're still underage! Who would they have put Neville with in the first place?"

"Hermione?" Harry offered, "They're the same age or..."

Ron's eyes narrowed, "Ginny... well he'd _better_ not! IF HE TOUCHES HER-"

"Easy Weasley." Draco said, nudging Goyle, "I'm sure Longbottom would rather chew off his own hand than admitted liking a girl. He's not exactly a charmer."

Harry patted Ron's shoulder, "Don't worry Ron; Neville wouldn't do that to Ginny anyway."

"Perhaps you should be worried _for_ Longbottom; I heard at Hogwarts that your sister could be-"

"Finish that sentence and you're _dead_ Malfoy!" Ron yelled as Goyle moved between them.

"Quite a _trollop_." Draco said arrogantly.

Ron threw himself forward but Goyle pushed him back, "What? You can't let your pathetic friend fight his own battles!?"

Goyle looked over Ron to where an equally angry Harry stood a few paces back, shielded by the red-haired boy, "I suppose that's something we have in common, Weasley." He said, and then turned to Draco, "Apologize to him."

"What?!" Draco demanded, standing.

"I said _apologize_. You shouldn't have said it and you _agreed_ that we would try to get along, Draco." Goyle said, giving Draco a look that made his words more a plea than a demand.

Draco caught Goyle's eyes and felt a pang of guilt; he forced it away with a smirk, "My apologies, Weasley, I shouldn't have said it."

"You're _damn_ right you shouldn't have!" Ron cried.

Harry stepped forward and touched Ron's shoulder, pulling him back, "It's alright now Ron; it's over. Let's go."

Draco stepped up to Goyle's side arrogantly, "You didn't have to protect me from _Weasley_, Goyle; I'm perfectly capable-"

"Don't."

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"I don't _understand_!" Hermione cried, "Unless they're keeping us alone until..." she trailed off and looked down at herself, "BUT THAT ISN'T EVEN GOING TO HAPPEN!"

"Calm down." Viktor said, pulling her close and kissing her forehead, "If you get upset it will hurt only _you_."

"They're like _family_ to me. How can _you_ be so calm?" Hermione asked, looking up into his eyes.

"My family is at home... and you are here with me. Are your parents..."

"Dead? I thought so at first but now I'm not sure. Why would they kill Muggle dentists?"

"Muggle what's?" Viktor asked, "I don't know the word."

"Dentists." Hermione repeated slowly, "It's the English word for... well they work on teeth."

Viktor nodded as he thought for a moment before smiling, "A noble job indeed."

Hermione smiled as Viktor turned to the plate of fruit and vegetables, picking up a peach; he fussed with it for a moment before sighing, "Here let me." Hermione said, taking the peach and using her fingernails to remove a large piece of the peel.

Viktor took it thankfully and places his free hand on her face; he leaned towards her and placed a kiss on her lips. Hermione panicked at first, slowly allowing herself to return his kiss before he pulled away. Viktor took a bite of the peach and smiled at her after swallowing, "You taste _much_ sweeter than this."

Hermione blushed and turned away from him, allowing herself to make a face of joy and pressed her hand to her mouth to hold in a squeal. She turned back to him after she'd managed to collect herself, "That's very kind of you, Viktor."

Viktor smiled again, offering her the peach, "Would you like some? You did all the work, after all."

"Thank you." Hermione said, taking the peach shyly.

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"George?! GEORGE?! Where are you?!" Fred called, nearly falling as he stepped backwards against someone.

"Fred?" a groggy voice asked from the figure at his feet.

Fred turned quickly and knelt, "Angelina? Are you alright?"

Angelina's eyes widened and Katie Bell's words echoed in her head _I know he fancies you_. She nodded, sitting up, "I'm fine."

"Haven't seen George have you?" Fred asked, helping her to her feet.

Angelina shook her head, smoothing her hair from her face, "I've only seen him once but... that was weeks ago."

"I hope they haven't hurt him." Fred said, frowning as he surveyed their surroundings, "Where are we?"

"We're in my _exhibit_." Angelina said, "I used to share it with Ginny and Hermione but the Muggles took them a while ago."

"Yeah Hermione was with my brother and I, oh and Viktor Krum."

"Well she must be having the time of her life." Angelina muttered.

Fred couldn't help but smile, "Why do you say that?"

Angelina blushed and shook her head, "No reason... why do you think they put you here with me?"

George faded from Fred's mind as the boy smiled wider, "Because you fancy me so much."

Angelina sat on the ground, "Is this really the best time to be silly?" she asked, "Shouldn't you be worried?"

"Well." Fred said, sitting beside her, "D'you really want to sit around and worry?"

Angelina smiled slowly and shook her head, "Not really."

"George said Katie Bell was with you." Fred said, "Have you seen her lately?"

Angelina stiffened and her bottom lip trembled, "She's dead." She whispered, shaking her head, "She... she got sick."

Fred frowned and took Angelina's hand, "I'm so sorry; I know you two knew each other... were friends."

Angelina nodded, "We were friends."

Fred kissed Angelina's hand after a bit of hesitation, catching her awkwardly when she threw herself into his arms and hugged him, "It's going to be alright."

"We're together now." Angelina said, laying her forehead against Fred's shoulder.

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Sirius growled one last time as he was shoved into the glass room; they had put a collar-like restraint around his neck along with the usual wrist cuffs, and turning into a dog had done nothing but choke him. He stared threateningly at the Muggles before turning and seeing another Wizard in the glass case, "...Remus?"

Lupin stood slowly and turned, his eyes were red and fresh scratches laced his face; he stared at the other man for a moment as if not believing Sirius was there at all. He took one step forward and fell into his friend's arms; they embraced for what seemed like an eternity before Lupin stepped back, "You're alright."

"Of course I'm alright; I was worried about _you_." Sirius said, reaching to touch Lupin's injured face, "Have they hurt you?"

Lupin shook his head, pulling away, "I'm fine; I did this to myself."

"Why do you suppose they brought me in here?" Sirius asked, avoiding questions about Lupin's transformation, or their plan.

"You're an Animangus." Lupin said, "They think we're the same thing."

Sirius chuckled as he shook his head, "Foolish."

Lupin turned on him, "They'll _kill_ us you know? I _murdered_ them! We won't last long in here friend; mark my words."

"I always heed your warnings, my friend." Sirius said with a comforting smile, "But they are often _that_, just warnings. They won't kill us if we have something to offer them; we're fascinating."

"You sound like Severus." Lupin said, crossing his arms as he observed the Muggles working on the outer room.

"Sometimes." Sirius said, hesitating to finish as he moved to Lupin's side, "...sometimes Snivellus gets something right."

"Occasionally." Lupin mused, nudging his friend.

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Molly smiled to herself, "Who would have thought we'd be in a Muggle zoo and I would _still_ be doing laundry?"

"No one appreciates it more than I do, Mollywobbles." Arthur said, wearing his robes as he awaited his pants, "I suppose it's too much to ask of them for a new pair every once in a while."

"I couldn't very well just let you wear bloody pants now could I? A shower's only so useful if you haven't got clean clothes to put on and besides, it's the first time I've been able to feel useful since we got here. All I've done is keep Charlie from attacking his brother."

"You've been very useful, dear." Arthur said, glancing at Charlie who sat at his mother's feet, staring into space.

A heavy thud sounded as the door to the exhibit opened. Arthur took a step forward as two Muggles entered, setting George down onto the grass gently; the tranquilized boy rolled onto his back groggily and shielded his eyes from the sun. Molly shoved the now clean pants into Arthur's hands and ran to her son's side, Charlie at her heels, "GEORGE! George dear you're alright!"  
Percy smiled and knelt beside his brother, "Well look what the cat dragged in."

"Oh George you're _hurt_!" Molly said, touching his side.

"Where's the other half?" Charlie mumbled thoughtfully, lifting Molly's hand from the twin's side.

Molly understood instantly what Charlie meant, "Where is your brother, George? Where's Fred?"

"Give him space, Molly." Arthur said, walking over after changing, "You two as well, back up a bit; he'll need a moment."

"Did you know about this?" Molly asked, pointing to the old wound.

"I might've had a fairly good idea..." Arthur admitted, "But there's nothing we can do for him now that will be better than letting him sleep this off."

Molly hesitated, staring at George before nodding and standing slowly, "Alright boys, give him some air."

Percy stood slowly and walked away to take up his solitary pacing once again while Arthur put his arm around his wife, "He'll wake up soon, dear; you will get time with him then."

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A/N: Ok so a few people have asked me to clarify just where everyone is at this point, so I'm gonna tell you, ain't that neat?

1. Angelina and Fred are in an exhibit together that was originally empty.

2. Ginny and Neville are in the exhibit originally occupied by Angelina and Katie.

3. Hermione and Viktor are in the exhibit originally occupied by the Twins.

4. Lucius is alone in a previously unused exhibit.

5. Draco, Harry, Ron and Goyle are together in the exhibit where Ron and Harry started.

6. Sirius and Lupin are in the laboratory where Fred spent most of the beginning.

7. Arthur, Percy, Charlie, Molly and George are in the original Weasley Family exhibit.

8. McGonagall, Tonks and Snape are in the exhibit they've always been in.

I also have results of each Wizard's aggression level as determined by their individual aggression tests. I'll only post that if someone is actually interested, but it's for the most part obvious just how aggressive everyone is by their actions.


	11. Primo Terminus

"I said _DROP IT_!"

Ron jerked awake, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, "Bloody hell." He stood, walking to the source of the shouting. He came upon Draco and Goyle in the darkness, their forms illuminated by one of the tall pole lights outside their exhibit.

"I'm not the one who brought this up!" Goyle said.

"What are you two fighting about in the middle of the night?"

Draco's face was covered in an odd flush, and he spun when Ron spoke, storming past the red-haired boy into the darkness, "Sorry we woke you." Goyle said as he turned to follow Draco.

Ron sighed and shook his head as Harry walked up behind him, "What was that all about?"

Ron opened his mouth but jumped when Draco shouted again, "OH YOU'RE _SORRY_ ARE YOU?! WHAT HAVE _YOU_ GOT TO BE SORRY ABOUT?! _I _WAS THE ONE DOING ALL THE _SHOUTING_!"

Harry blinked slowly, "Should we leave?"

"We'll never get any sleep when these two going on like this." Ron muttered.

Goyle stared at the blonde boy for a moment, "What are you on about?"

"What am I on about? I'll tell you what I'm on about! You never defend _me_ in front of them but as soon as I say something out of the way to Weasley you-"

"Have you lost your _mind_?" Goyle asked, "I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"They'll be at this for the rest of the night." Ron said, yawning, "Just hope they come to blows and Goyle knocks Malfoy out."

"We could always wrap our robes around our heads and hope we suffocate." Harry muttered, "Come on, maybe we can get far enough away to get some peace."

The boys walked away as Goyle and Draco continued, "I don't know what you _want_!" Goyle said, "First you want me to follow orders, then you want me to come up with _plans_? _Then_ you want me to let you cry and pretend you weren't? NOW YOU WANT ME TO DEFEND YOU IF SOMEONE LOOKS AT YOU STRANGELY!? YOU'RE SHOUTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?! WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME?!"

Draco was quiet for a moment, and then he smiled cautiously, "I think you're the one shouting now, Goyle."

Goyle became suddenly angry, "Do you even _know_ my first name _Malfoy_?"

"Of course I do." Draco said, suddenly losing his anger, "Its Gregory; why wouldn't I know that?"

"Just shut up and go to sleep, alright?" Goyle said firmly.

Draco's face regained its flush and he scowled, "Don't order me around!" he snapped, stepping forward.

Goyle crosses his arms, "What are you going to do if I _do_?" he asked, stepping forward as well until their faces were barely an inch apart.

Both boys stared hard at each other, waiting for the other to weaken; suddenly, both turned lightning quick and stormed away in opposite directions. Ron smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep, "Thank Merlin; they've killed each other."

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"Did you know that I turned down two other boys for you?" Ginny asked.

"No." Neville said, splashing water on his face.

"I did, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan." Ginny said as if proud, "I wanted you to ask me."

"Why?" Neville asked with mild interest.

"I wanted to go with you." Ginny said, "Naturally."

"What do you mean _naturally_? The only thing a girl's wanted to do with me since I started Hogwarts is Herbology homework." Neville said, "I'm not exactly charming in case you hadn't noticed."

"I hadn't." Ginny said, walking over to him and kissing him.

Neville pulled away, "W-w-we shouldn't!" he said, turning red, "That's what they... what they want."

"What do you mean what they want?" Ginny asked, puzzled.

"They put us together so that we'd... well... you _know_." Neville said, going from red to purple.

Ginny thought for a moment before frowning thoughtfully, "With them _watching_? That's a bit rude don't you think?"

Neville couldn't stop the nervous laugh that escaped him, "_Rude_? It's _rude_? I was thinking more along the lines of morally _wrong_ but... I suppose it isrude as well."

"Well they can certainly think again if they think I'm doing that in _public_." Ginny muttered.

Neville looked up, "I don't follow you."

"That's probably why I like you so much." Ginny said.  
"Because I'm confused?"

"No, it's because you don't _beg_ me to go out with you!" Ginny said, "You're so ... collected, Neville. I find it _very_ attractive."

"Oh... thank you." Neville said, unable to think of anything else.

Ginny crossed her arms, "_Well_?"

"Well what?"  
"Tell me why you like _me_!" Ginny said.

Neville turned away from Ginny, terrified, "I suppose... you're very nice." He said, struggling not to stutter, "You're a very... lovely girl-I mean woman."

Ginny grinned, "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Neville took a step back as she advanced, "Ginny?" he had no time to run as she tackled him in the soft grass, "GINNY!"

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"There's nowhere I'd rather be than here with you." Sirius said, "You should know that, Moony."

"I _do_ know that." Lupin muttered, "That's why I'm worried."  
"Remus-"

"You're _childish_ and ... that's dangerous in a place like this." Lupin said, "It's usually charming, and I'm no better than you save for when I _have_ to be. This place is not one for carelessness."

"You mean happiness." Sirius said, "You refuse to allow yourself to be happy because of what happened."

"What happened... what _happened_?! You mean what I _did_! I massacred four Muggles! I tore one of them apart so badly that they had to identify her by her teeth!" Lupin said, turning away from Sirius, "Don't speak to me about what _happened_."

"That was Severus' doing and you know it. He wanted revenge for-"

"Do you mean the night you led him tome?! The night you would have had me kill him!? I am not a weapon Sirius; I AM TIRED OF BEING EVERYONE'S KILLING MACHINE!"

Tears welled up in Sirius eyes and he stepped forward, embracing his friend firmly, "That was not your fault, Moony."

"If I kill, I... I want it to be of my own free will, I am not just some mindless thing. I want to have at least that."

"You are not just a mindless thing, Remus; you are _my_ mindless thing."

"_You_ are the mindless one, old friend." Lupin countered with a smile, walking to the glass, "We are supposed to be watching them."

"They are _boring_, Moony." Sirius complained, "That man there? He hasn't moved from that spot since I was put in here."

"You've slept since you were put here." Lupin argued.  
"And when I awoke what did I see? It was him, just _standing_ there. How do you expect me to watch something like that?" Sirius asked.

Lupin smirked, "I thought assigning you a task that required minimal brain power would be enough; I wasn't aware I also had to keep you entertained."

"I am _childish_, after all."

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"They just took us and... I don't know where Fred ended up." George said, "I don't know what they did with him."

"Don't you two have some sort of sense?" Percy asked, "Would you know if they hurt him?"

George faltered, "We haven't been that close lately."

"Why not?"

George shrugged, "I guess for the same reason Charlie hasn't been close with _you_ lately; I've changed. I let this place get to me, and I wouldn't go back for the world. I feel like I've got a leg up on everyone else hear just because I _understand_ what we've all been doing so wrong."

Percy glanced around at the other three Weasleys, making sure they had moved out of earshot before turning back to George, "What do you mean what _we've_ been doing wrong?"

George smiled and lay back in the grass, staring up at the stars, "We've become too dependent, Percy; we're helpless without our magic."  
"We're not too dependant on magic." Percy argued.

George sat up quickly, "We can't do a _thing_! I had a gash in my side and the only thing Fred and I could think to do was pour water on it! Viktor Krum came and _he_ knew about it but… if we didn't have who we do for a father… would we know _anything_?"

Percy shook his head stubbornly, "They've done something to you, George; you would _never_ say a thing like this."

"I'm not saying we deserve anything like what's happened." George said, "We just need to learn from it."

"We _are_." Percy said, "Mum washed our clothes today with her _hands_ and without soap. We all drink and bathe in the same cold water; we only have fruit and vegetables to eat. What do you call that? I don't know what happened to you specifically, but we've _all_ changed."  
George watched Charlie sadly as he walked by them aimlessly, now unafraid to leave Molly's side. The eldest boy was still prone to crying, and tears streamed down his face now as he sniffled, wiping his eyes hastily and smearing the salty tears across his freckled cheeks, "I know we've changed." George said as he watched their brother putter around them, "But… is it enough to get us out of here?"

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"After that she told me that she wanted to see you… and told me to let go." Angelina said, sniffling, "She wanted to be with you; I think she loved you. …Fred?"

"D'you mind repeating that, love? I wasn't listening." Fred grunted, sweat beading out on his chest and forehead.

"What?"

Fred smiled down at Angelina from where he was climbing the rock formation, "I asked if you'd repeat yourself, afraid I wasn't listening."

Angelina didn't allow the pain to well up in her heart; instead she ignored it and changed the subject, "Why are you climbing way up there?"

"Fun, Angelina, I'm having fun."

Angelina looked puzzled, "There's no way over."

"I know that." Fred said, "I just want to keep up my strength in case there's a fight. Besides, _they_ like it."

Angelina looked at the Muggles; a group of teenage girls wearing barely anything in the hot summer sun were bouncing up and down and giggling. Fred blew the girls a kiss, and winked down to Angelina before continuing his recreational ascent, "Yes I suppose they do." Angelina muttered darkly, "So that's it then? You're going to treat the Muggles like friends and entertain them?"

"If there's one thing this has taught me." Fred said as he dropped to the ground, "It's that being polite has its advantages. When they move me? They don't knock me out, they don't manhandle me, and they _speak_ to me. Do you know why? Because I'm _decent_."

Angelina stared at him for a moment, her face unreadable, "I hadn't noticed." She finally said, walking away.

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"Viktor." Hermione whispered.

"Hm?" the Bulgarian muttered in his sleep.

"Viktor!" Hermione whispered again louder.

Viktor's eyes snapped open, "Yes?"

"I've got an idea." Hermione said, standing from where she'd knelt beside him, "It's not about escape of course; my past plan left a bit to be desired and I'm trying to recover from that little fiasco, but-"

"Hermione?"

"What?" Hermione said with a smile.

"If this is not a plan for escape or a request for help-"

"Well what would I need help with?" Hermione asked, "Like I was saying, I've been thinking a lot lately and do you _know-_"

"This can wait?" Viktor asked sleepily.

Hermione frowned slightly as she sat down beside him, "Oh... I'm sorry. You were asleep; I should-"

"Stay here." Viktor chuckled, sitting up.

"So you want to talk?"

"With you? Always." Viktor said, shifting to rest his head on her shoulder.

"Oh... of course." Hermione stammered as she stared at her hands, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt.

"Now you do not wish to tell me?" Viktor asked, a hint of amusement in his voice although Hermione couldn't see his face.

Hermione smiled slowly and took a breath, "Well I was just thinking that the Ministry of Magic was taking an awful long time to find us."

"It has." Viktor said, "Go on."

"I suppose the Muggles must be using something to keep us hidden from magic; I don't know how they would do it _without_ magic. There may be a way to find out of that's true but I'm not sure..." Hermione trailed off as she felt Viktor's lips brush her neck. She tensed and stared ahead awkwardly as he kissed from her jaw line to her collarbone and back up again repeatedly. After a moment's pause she continued speaking, her voice breaking every other word or so as she struggled to gather herself, "It may be possible to... to find this out if we... if we... if we send someone to look at a power source! Perhaps... one of us could manage to escape or... or... a trusting Muggle, you know. Just someone to report back and..." Hermione's eyes closed slowly for a moment before she forced them back open, clearing her throat, "They could destroy it if... that were the case and then... the... the Ministry could... find... us..."

Viktor sat up and leaned back against the rocks, "Well then, we will have to find someone who can find such a place."

He'd actually been listening to her while she'd been barely able to choke out here words; Hermione couldn't believe it, "You... you were-"

Viktor smiled and caught her eyes with his own, "I have never missed even a single word from your lips."

Hermione stared at Viktor in utter amazement, afraid to say anything and ruin the moment; she was young, and his charm was almost too much for her, "I don't know what to say." She said, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Viktor laid his hand on her face, wiping away a tear with his thumb, "Then I have done well." He said, kissing her cheek where another tear was falling.

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"This is childish." Snape said shortly, "Why are you following me?"

"I just want you to admit that you're _hurting_." Tonks said stubbornly, stumbling slightly and falling forward.

Snape caught her arm and pulled her to her feet with a look of annoyance, "Please tell me that you don't plan to fall all over the place the entire time you're following me."

"How long do you plan to stay guilty about this? You didn't do it for revenge; we all know that." Tonks said.  
"What do you mean _all_? There are only three of us left." Snape said, hastily dropping Tonks' arm, "Minerva never felt that I gave Lupin the idea for revenge; that leaves _you_."

Tonks smiled and pulled her robes over her head, tossing them aside as she smoothed her neon purple hair from her face, "I guess it does." She said, "Ok so _I_ know you didn't do it for revenge. Are you happy now?"

"Ecstatic." Snape muttered.

"Are you really so unhappy just because I don't dislike you?"

Snape's eye twitched slightly as he crossed his arms, "Do you still pine the way you used to for Remus? Does it burn you up that he's in love with your mangy middle-aged cousin and not you?"

Tonks frowned, looking hurt for a second before smirking, "Nice try but I've got your number; you're not going to make me leave just because you pretend to be bitter and abrasive."

"I am not…" Snape's hands tightened into fists, "Just go away and leave me _be_ you idiot child!"

Tonks opened her mouth to reply but they had reached the small waterfall that emptied into a small pool behind a large rock; something black was tossed carelessly near the rock, and Tonks walked to it, picking it up, "Robes… they were Lupin's." she said to herself, "You… you did this…"

Snape walked around to the other side of the pool as Tonks looked over the robes, seeing that they were covered in dried blood; she held them close to herself and closed her eyes as tears burned behind them, "Will you leave _now_?" Snape asked with a hint of bitterness.

Tonks looked up at the sullen man as tears slid down her cheeks; she clutched the robes more against herself as she turned and walked back to where McGonagall sat near the front of the display.

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A/N: Hurray another chapter! I'm dedicating chapters 10-13 to Valentine's Day! That's pretty funny considering the subject matter... so it's sort of a cruel sarcastic joke. I know there may be some strong opinions after this chapter so feel free to air them; I love nothing more than having deep heartfelt philosophical conversations. For those of you who wished to see the aggression levels, I will be posting them with Chapter 12!


	12. Valde Contineo

"MINERVA!" Tonks shouted, struggling to free herself from Snape's grip, "LET ME GO!"

"You'll only make it worse." Snape said calmly, holding her fast despite her violent struggling.

"There's no need for a scene." McGonagall said quietly, raising her hand to quiet them, "Do try to maintain your dignity, Nymphadora."

"They're taking you away to _kill_ you, Minerva!" Tonks cried.

"Then I will be in history books rather than always teaching about them." McGonagall said with a thin smile as the Muggles led her to the door.

"What are we supposed to do without you?" Tonks called, her words broken by tears.

"You two will figure something out."

Once McGonagall disappeared and the steel door shut heavily, the struggle was ended; Snape released Tonks instantly and she fell to her knees in grief. Snape stood silently beside her, his face unreadable. Tonks reached up and touched his hand; she needed comforting, and he was all she had. Snape forced aside the instinct to jerk away and leave the situation, instead he took Tonks' hand and squeezed it gently before letting go, "We will be alright." He muttered.

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"No it's… nothing like that." Angelina said stubbornly.

"Then what is it? You haven't been yourself all day." Fred said with genuine worry, putting his arm around her.

"I'm just worried; you're not... taking this seriously and we should be finding a way to _escape_!" Angelina said.

"How are _we_ supposed to plan an escape alone? That's what George is for, and Viktor; they'll think of something." Fred said, "I'll be ready."

"How are you supposed to know when they _do_ think of something, Fred?!" Angelina shouted suddenly, "You haven't got a plan Fred; you've got _false hope_!" she shouted, turning and storming away from him in tears.

"Angelina!" Fred said, following quickly; he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him, "This is about something else; _tell_ me this is about something else."

Angelina ducked her head to avoid his eyes, "I just want out of here."

"Angie." Fred said softly, taking her hands.

Angelina jerked away, "Don't touch me!" she said, "You don't know me so DO NOT TOUCH ME!"

Fred stumbled backwards when Angelina slapped him harder than he thought she was capable of; he fell to the ground, touching the large red welt raising on his face, "Angelina." He said calmly, although his face had reddened beyond where she had hit him, and his breathing was steadily speeding up as he grew angrier, "What is wrong with you?"

Angelina shook her head, "Nothing." She said quietly, walking away.

Fred stood to follow her and froze when the large steel door slid open, "Angie." He said quietly, taking a step back as a Muggle man entered with a syringe, "ANGIE!"

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Goyle smiled as he sat beside Draco, "Don't you sleep at night anymore?"

Draco continued to stare ahead, sitting with his knees pulled to his chest; he shrugged, "I suppose not; why are you-"

Goyle placed a pomegranate in Draco's lap, "Here."

Draco picked it up and smirked slightly, "What's the matter Gregory, afraid I would waste away?"

Goyle chuckled, "Well you weren't exactly big to start with, but it's not for you."

Draco stared at the fruit for a long time, "What are we doing?"

"I'm trying to get something to eat."

"Are you truly dense or just pretending?" Draco asked.

Goyle frowned in confusion, "I don't get what you mean?"

"Nothing." Draco surrendered, tossing the fruit back to Goyle and standing, "Just stay away from me from now on, alright? Harry can help you with this."

"Draco?"

Draco closed his eyes and ran his hands back through his hair as he hurried away from Goyle and past the other two, "What is it _now_?" Ron muttered, "Why do they always fight at _night_?"

Harry frowned and shook his head, "Dunno, but I'm going to find out." He said, following Draco quickly, "Hey, Malfoy!"

Draco turned quickly, "What?"

"Did you and Goyle have a fight?" the bespectacled boy asked, "Do you want to... talk about it?"

"His name's Gregory, and no; he's just an idiot and I don't want him expecting me to save him if we escape. I told him to shove off." Draco said, "Why would I want to talk to you about anything?"

Harry stared at his feet, kicking up a piece of earth, "Well I guess I understand... Cedric and I got to be pretty good friends last year and-"

"I'm not like you, Potter; I can deal with my _own_ problems." Draco spat suddenly, turning and walking away, doing his best to look aloof.

Ron walked up to Harry's side, "What was all that about?"

Harry was genuinely confused as he shook his head, "I don't know."

"Um... do you know how to work one of these?" Goyle asked as he stepped up, shoving the pomegranate into Harry's hands.

Harry looked up at Goyle, then at Draco's back, "Yeah."

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"I don't understand." Ginny said quietly, "Was there something wrong with me?"

"No!" Neville said quickly, "I was _afraid_ to tell you I liked you... you were always with someone and... you have to admit that you are a little intimidating."

Ginny smiled and nodded, "Why are you so brave now that we're here?"

Neville shrugged, "I guess I figured what could be scarier than being captured and tortured by Muggles?"

Ginny nodded again, tensing up as tears filled her eyes, "Nothing."

Neville frowned and moved closer to her, putting his arm around her shoulders, "It's alright; I didn't mean to scare you, Gin."

"I'm fine." Ginny said, wiping her eyes hurriedly, "I just don't want to be here forever; there are... so many things I haven't gotten to do a lot of which I could never do here. I want to have a family someday Neville, but that doesn't matter to you. I'm sorry I'm being such a baby."

Neville stared up at the sky with a pained expression before turning to Ginny again; he placed his hand under her chin and raised it gently, "We _will_ get out of here." He said, and after reaching a level of bravery that only a Gryffindor could understand, he leaned forward and kissed her.

"Neville?" Ginny whispered after he'd pulled away.

His hands were shaking slightly as he stood up and crossed his arms to hide his nervousness, "Gin."

"Don't leave me, Neville." Ginny said, standing quickly.

"Ginny I'm not going to-"

"I don't want to be alone!" Ginny cried.

Neville looked at her with confusion and mild concern before leaning forward and kissing her; she stood up on the tips of her toes instantly and wrapped her arms around his neck; this time their kiss had a hint of desperation to it that it had originally lacked. Neville's breathing had already grown shallow as he struggled to control his silent panicking; his mind was screaming for him to run, but he did no such thing. He broke the kiss a second time and looked down at Ginny for a moment before a decisive look crossed his face; he picked her up and carried her behind the large rock in front of their waterfall, kissing her again.

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"Viktor."

Viktor grinned playfully, a rare expression on his often serious face; he kissed the tip of Hermione's nose, "Yes?" he asked, leaning in for a real kiss.

Hermione couldn't help but smile as Viktor cut off her response; once he pulled away she crossed her arms and feigned frustration, "How am I supposed to talk with you doing that?"

"I _could_ stop." Viktor teased.

Hermione smirked, "You could not."

Viktor chuckled, "You're right; I love you."

Hermione faltered and looked down at her feet for a moment, "Oh… I…" she said, flustered and unsure how to respond.

Viktor looked shocked, and it took a few seconds for Hermione to realize that something was wrong; he stumbled and fell backwards. Hermione saw the two Muggles entering the exhibit; the first smiled gently at Hermione, "Don't struggle; we don't want to hurt anything important." Hermione wanted to fight them for what they'd done to Viktor, but she knew the tranquilizers didn't cause any permanent job and this could be her chance to get a look at that power source. She jumped as Viktor rolled onto his side and gasped suddenly, sounding as though he was choking, "What's wrong?" the Muggle man asked, "Why isn't he out?"

The second kneeled and shook her head, then her eyes widened as she pulled the dart from Viktor's back, "You used the wrong dart."

"…what?"

"You used a bull tranquilizer!" she snapped.

"What difference does that make? He's big." the man dismissed.

"It's _longer_; you pierced his lung." the woman replied, "He's aspirating the sedative."

"VIKTOR!" Hermione shrieked, struggling to pull away from the man who held her, "DON'T LET HIM DIE!"

"Take her inside!" the woman barked, pulling her walkie-talkie from her belt, "I need a team in exhibit three; get them out here _now_!"

"VIKTOR! VIKTOR I LOVE YOU TOO!" Hermione cried as the man drug her away, "I LOVE YOU!"

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A/N: Ok so I know it's about half the amount I usually write but it's another transition chapter. Also, yes there was an 'understood' sex scene; it wasn't graphic or anything so I didn't think it needed a beforehand warning. Also OH MY GOD Viktor, will he die? Is he dead?! All this and more next time (or so)!


	13. Diabolus Lingua

A/N: Ok so this is going to be the longest chapter of the entire fic; there will be gore, scary themes, mild mentions of homosexuality, character death and hallucinations. Hope you're ready; this is the second to last chapter of The Zoo: enjoy!

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"Look what you've done to him."

Ginny frowned as her mother spoke, "I haven't done-"

"You've ruined his life, dear." Molly said gently, "You've ruined it."

Ginny looked down at Neville lying in the grass; there was something wrong about him. Suddenly a red line etched itself across his chest, followed by another, and another; soon blood pooled from a gaping wound over Neville's heart and dripped to puddle beneath him, "Who did this?!" Ginny demanded.

"You did, dear." Molly said.

Ginny looked down; her hand was clutching a sharp rock and blood smeared her arms up to her elbows. She threw the rock down, "I didn't." she said, closing her eyes as a breeze swept her hair from her face.

On the breeze she could hear a child screaming, and smell saltwater; Ginny's eyes snapped open and she realized the screams were her own. Neville had shaken her awake, "Are you alright?" he asked.

Ginny's chin quivered as she latched onto him, hiding her face against his chest; it was smooth and warm and unmarred, no bleeding wound or struggling breaths, no smell of saltwater. He was exactly how she remembered him, how she had left him; they were still lying close to the waterfall, although he had left her and gotten dressed sometime before she'd awaken, "I'm alright." She said quietly as she moved away to find her clothes; it was getting cold and the last thing Ginny wanted was a cold.

"Right, I'll uh... leave you to it then." He said, standing and walking a ways off.

Ginny knew it was better to not ask him to stay; it was in his nature to be shy and polite and a somewhat lonely creature, especially now without family. She watched him as she dressed, trying to ignore the dream she'd had, and pretending that it hadn't bothered her, but even Ginny knew when there was blood on the wind, and another full moon was fast approaching.

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"We have to do this." George said, "We're the only hope they've got."

"But using Charlie like that... what if he-"

"He'll tear them to pieces and besides, he won't be alone." George assured, "We just have to wait until they come out to feed us; it's been two days."

"He'll jump on them if we just make sure he notices them." Percy said with a sigh, "We can't let them regroup or they'll kill him."

"We won't." George said, "They won't have anything but their darts, and we can duck those alright."

"I still think we should tell Dad."

"No!" George said firmly, "He'll stop us and... he'll probably tell Mum. We should just keep them out of this until it happens."

"They'll be out soon." Percy said as he glanced up at the steadily growing moon, "Probably before the sun comes up."

"We'll be ready."

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Angelina's face was washed with expression, nostrils flared, eyebrows raised, lip curling upward every so slightly; in short, she was not happy. The Muggles noticed this as they worked around her; the man who knelt and pushed a syringe into her arm was met with a jerk and a loudly barked, "Hey!"

"Easy." He said, sliding the needle back into her skin to draw blood; it was dark as it filled the syringe, and Angelina looked away sickly, "There you go." He said gently, walking away with his sample.

"Are you ok?" she asked the girl beside her.

Hermione turned her head slightly to look at Angelina through the hair hanging in her face; she was cuffed to the metal chair where she sat more securely than Angelina because she had struggled, "No." she said, "No I am very well not alright."

"Who did they put you with?" Angelina asked, watching a single drop of blood snake its way down her arm from the tiny needle hole.

"I've been with Viktor." Hermione said, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"How's that working out for you?" Angelina asked casually, not seeing Hermione's distress.

"We're both just fine." Hermione choked out, gasping in pain when the Muggle at her side pierced her skin with a needle, "Must you do that right _now_?!" she demanded.

Both girls fell silent as Ginny was carried in and cuffed onto the last steel chair; her head lolled forward as her body struggled against the sedatives in her blood.

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Ginny wiped sweat from her eyes with the back of her hand and squinted until her eyes adjusted in the darkness; a heartbeat thudded heavily in her ears and as she moved forwards she saw the owner of the steady pounding. Neville stood against a stone wall in the darkness; he was the only thing that light hit and his neck and wrists were fastened with great chains that held him in place. Ginny continued forward to get a better look at him; sweat dripped from the strands of hair that hung in his face, and the mysterious wound spattered his otherwise unmarred chest with blood. He was leering at her and his throat seemed to work against the chain wrapped around it while his chest heaved unceremoniously; he was suffocating where he stood, "Hello Gin."

"Neville what's happened to you?" Ginny asked.

"Will you set me free?" he panted through his grin-exposed teeth.

"I don't know how."

Ginny stepped forward and they kissed; she could taste blood and smell saltwater, but it was nothing that interested her. She ran her hand along his chest until she felt the scars beneath her fingertips, and dug her nails into the ruined flesh; Neville grunted and pulled back, looking down as black spiders marked with red keyholes began to mass from the wound, "You've always been a bit of a liar, haven't you?"

Ginny looked down at her hand where she still clutched the familiar jagged rock and took a step back before driving the sharp stone into the center of the wound.

Ginny awoke screaming again and nearly toppled over the steal chair that she was chained in; she began to cry as she struggled to recover from the fearful visions. She gasped and fell silent when a Muggle entered the room and smiled at her, "How're we doing there, mama?" he asked with a grin as he approached and unlocked her cuffs, "No struggling now, we don't want to sedate you anymore than we have to. Wouldn't want to hurt either of you, hm?"

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Tonks pushed her hair from her eyes as a strange wind blew it out of place; there was something strange about the weather and her powers of transformation had shifted her hair to a raven black as she had slept. She stared at the ground and barely noticed his presence near her until he spoke, "Therefore my mistress' brows are raven black;

Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem."

Tonks looked up at him and he gave her a very slight smile, "Who said that?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

Snape shook his head, "A Muggle writer, I never much cared for his work."

Tonks smiled slightly as she stood, "What do you think they'll do with us next?"

"Nothing." Snape said simply, "What is there left for them to do?"  
"Do you think Sirius and Remus will be back?" Tonks asked.

"Yes."

Tonks looked at the man darkly, "You're lying."

Snape raised an eyebrow, "Why would I be lying to you about my own opinions, Nymphadora?"

"You're trying to keep my spirits up; you think I'll be useful in a fight! You-"

"Nymphadora the _last_ thing I think you are is useful." Snape said; it was impossible to judge if he were insulting her or being gently honest.

Tonks smirked strangely as she stared at him, "Oh? Not at all?" she whispered, taking a step backwards, "Then you won't need me here?"

"Where are you planning to go?" Snape asked with a chuckle.

"You will see."

Tonks' eyes narrowed as she turned, sprinting towards the front of the enclosure, and the deep chasm that divided them from the glass. Snape shot to his feet instantly and gave chase, "NYMPHADORA GET BACK HERE!"

Tonks spread her arms as she dropped into the chasm, but when she felt nothing, no rushing wind, no rushing pulse, she opened her eyes and grinned; she was leaning out over the chasm, inches from death, but Severus was there, and his arms around her waist held her back. She looked down and leaned further out over the chasm; adrenaline rushing wildly in her bloodstream. Tonks turned suddenly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to his lips. One suicide for another, Tonks had chosen.

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"We'll attack them then." Harry muttered, "There's no reason why the three of us couldn't take one of two of them down before they darted us."

"If we got inside there would be more." Ron said.

Both boys glanced at Goyle and he looked up, "What?"

"We may need you to crack some skulls, Greg; do you think you can do that?" Harry asked.

Goyle smirked, "I've just been waiting for someone to ask."

Draco walked past them as they spoke, making sure to avoid eye contact with Goyle, "So we'll start this as soon as they come; we all have to be ready."

Goyle stood in the midst of conversation and followed the blonde away from the other two, "Are you alright?"

Draco turned quickly and stumbled back a step; Goyle caught his wrist to steady him but the blonde jerked away, "I told you to keep away from me."

"And probably knew that I wouldn't." Goyle said, crossing his arms, "Why did you do that?"

"Because I..." Draco's words faded away as his face grew red; his temper was barley contained as he spoke again, "_Meant_ it!"

"Sure you did." Goyle muttered, "Look, I'm sorry, for whatever I did to you, or whatever you _think_ I did to-"

Draco swung then, aiming directly for the taller boy's face; Goyle caught the blonde's wrist and spun him around. Draco fell back against him and was too shocked to struggle for escape. Goyle moved Draco's face to his own and kissed him; the strength left Draco's legs and he collapsed against the larger boy. Draco suddenly pushed away from Goyle, turning and stumbling backward so quickly it looked as if he would fall, "What are you doing?!" he demanded, wide-eyed. Goyle gave Draco a tolerant look and sighed, turning to walk away; Draco threw himself forward and tackled the larger boy, "I'LL KILL YOU!" Draco shrieked, "I'LL-"

Harry and Ron looked up as the shouting started, "Whoa, hey!" Harry cried, standing and running to the scene with Ron at his heels.

The Boy Who Lived pulled Malfoy off of Goyle and dragged him away even as he struggled to get to the larger boy, "What'd you do to him, mate?" Ron asked, offering Goyle a hand.

Goyle pulled himself to his feet with Ron's help as Harry threw Draco to the ground a few yards away, "What is wrong with you!?" he demanded.

Draco shook his head and pulled his knees to his chest; tears were burning behind his eyes and he was struggling to force them away, "Just piss off, Potter."

"Listen, we're trying to do something here; don't mess it up." Harry said, sitting beside the blonde boy, "I know something's going on between the two of you, and you're obviously upset about it."

"What happened to Cedric, I mean... you lost your first chance at love in that graveyard, didn't you?"

Harry looked up and then nodded, "I suppose I did."

Draco was quiet as he stared at his feet, "I'm sorry."

"You didn't have anything to do with that." Harry said.

"My father-"

"JUST," Harry interrupted, pausing to calm himself, "Don't let that happen to you."

Draco looked over at Goyle and nodded slowly, "What is our plan?"

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Ginny smiled broadly, "I missed you."

"I knew they would bring you back to me." Neville said, taking her hands.

"You're hurt." Ginny said, reaching to touch the ever-present wound.

"It's nothing." Neville said, moving her hand from his chest and gently slipped a ring onto her finger, "We have more important things to do."

Ginny looked down at herself as a heavy wind blew past her; she was wearing white dress robes. They were standing in a strange circle of stand that was placed high on a flat cliff that was covered by a field of poppies; the sea lay beyond them and a large tree just behind them, "What is this?"

"Hush," Neville said as he pulled her to him, "Watch."

Ginny gasped and clung to Neville as a black adder slid down the trunk of the tree and slithered off through the thick poppies, "Neville-"

Neville took her by the shoulder and she saw a large metal bird-like creature, what her father called an _airplane_, cut through the sky behind him, "They're going to call you crazy, Ginny."

"Did you see-"

"Ginerva!"

Ginny spun to see her mother standing in the flowers; she ran to her, "Mum! Mum what's going on?"

"You are breaking, dear; he'll know what to do." Molly said, turning Ginny back around towards the tree.

Neville was gone, but the tree shuddered as if in pain before its great trunk split in half with a deafening noise and crashed to the ground. Ginny didn't even have to open her after she awoke to know where she was; she could hear Neville's gentle heartbeat, and could feel his arms around her. The Muggles had replaced her in the exhibit sometime during her ream, and Neville had been, in short, happy to see her safely returned.

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Hermione wiped her eyes quickly as she stared at the ground; she'd been alone for an entire day since they had released her, and she feared she was starting to lose her mind. She could hear Viktor choking and gagging as clearly as if he were lying at her feet; she jumped as she saw him suddenly, looking up at her helplessly, "Viktor?"

The man's choking silenced and blood pooled at the corners of his mouth as he spoke, "Hermione, my love, something is going to happen to all of you."

Hermione's heart felt as though it had stopped, "If you're here now... does that mean that you're-"

"That does not matter now." Viktor said, "You have to be strong for the red-haired girl; do you know who she is?"

"Ginny?"

"She needs you; she needs your help, Hermione. Just remember that." Viktor said, fading out of view.

"Viktor?" Hermione whimpered, tears now rolling down her face to drop into her clothes, "Viktor come back... come back!"

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Viktor grunted as he awoke, squinting into the white lights, "Viktor, sit up."

Viktor struggled against the sick throb of pain in his chest and sat up on the metal gurney, "Who's there?"

"You've only got a day to get back to me; there's only a day before it all falls apart."

"Hermione?" Viktor said, rubbing his eyes quickly and looking again, "What are you doing here?! Are you hurt?"

"I will be." Hermione said, "With or without you, I will be hurt."

Viktor scowled, "Who will hurt you?!"

"You." Hermione whispered, she held her wrist out to him and suddenly jagged scratches slid up to her hand from her elbow, caused by some dull invisible nails, "You will protect; you will hurt."

"I would never-"

"Get back to me, Viktor!" Hermione interrupted, her eyes flashing, "If you don't breathe... _breathe_! Breathe or they will leave me to die without you!"

Hermione disappeared suddenly, and Viktor stood to his feet, taking in an agonizingly deep breath and letting out a roar of anger as he slammed his fists against the glass wall separating him from the Muggles.

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Harry whimpered and rolled onto his side as he awoke; his breath came out in a mist and he stood up quickly, looking around the hauntingly familiar graveyard as he began to walk. A thick smell reached his nose and he winced; it was the smell of death, and not just funeral flowers and embalming fluid, _death_. Harry stumbled and fell forward suddenly, gasping at what he saw and immediately wishing he hadn't; the body was still there, as if it had never been moved, "No!" he shouted as he jumped to his feet, "I took you back to your father! I did what you-"

"Don't mind that."

Harry spun around and his heart leapt into his throat, "You."

"That's just there for show; it's sort of part of the deal. Come on." Cedric said with a gentle smile, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders and leading him away, "We can take a walk to somewhere that brings up a few less memories."

"I'm dreaming?"

"Not exactly." Cedric said hesitantly, "I have some things to tell you; they're important so you have to remember them, alright?"

Harry nodded as they walked away from the body together, "So does that mean you'll be leaving?"

"It's time to listen, Harry."

Harry stumbled backwards, suddenly they were back inside the hedge maze, clad in their Tri-wizard uniforms, "Alright... alright I will listen."

"You can't believe his lies." Cedric said as an evil wind began to sweep through the maze, nearly knocking Harry to the ground.

"Who's lies?"

"You _can't _believe it! You'll crucify him if you do!" Cedric said more urgently, "Do you hear me?!"

"Yes!" Harry cried as the wind whipped at his clothing, "Yes I hear! Don't believe his lies!"

"It's time for me to go." Cedric said, turning away.

"NO!" Harry shouted, running forward and grabbing Cedric's hand, "Don't."

"If I stay too long it could hurt you." Cedric said, "You have to go on and help him, Harry."

"I don't care who I have to help; I care about _you_!" Harry cried.

Cedric pulled Harry to him and kissed him; it was rushed and desperate, and at the same time warm and gentle. Harry began to cry as Cedric pushed him gently away, "Go, Harry." He said, "GO!"

"Harry!"

Harry opened his eyes and found Ron kneeling beside him, "He's gone."

Ron frowned with concern, "You had a nightmare, Harry; who were you yelling to? Was it Cho?"

A wave of sickness hit Harry as he nodded slowly, "I guess so."

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"Do you want something to eat?"

Ginny shook her head, "No thank you, Neville-"

"Are you thirsty?" he asked quickly.

"No."

"Do you want to lie down? Are you tired?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

Ginny laughed and shook her head, "I'm just as fine as I was this morning, Neville, _really_. They only took a blood sample."

"I wasn't sure they were bringing you back to me, Gin."

Ginny took his hand and leaned against him, "They're not going to take me away; I guarantee that."

"I hope not." Neville said, "I l... would miss you a lot."

Ginny's heart leapt as Neville prepared to say that he loved her; those three simple words would have made revealing her secret so much easier, but he had faltered and changed his mind. Ginny swallowed the lump that rose in her throat, "I… I know you would." She said softly, "I want to tell you something."

"Are you-" Neville started, with all the best intentions.

"Yes!" Ginny interrupted, "I'm _fine_, Neville, just let me finish… please."

"Sorry," Neville said, "Go ahead."

"Yesterday, I mean what happened yesterday," Ginny said, surprised when Neville managed to battle away blushing, "Something else happened… something you don't know about." Neville remained silent, giving her a look of dumb confusion; Ginny wished now that he would interrupt her, but she pressed on, "Something happened to _me_, and yes I'm perfectly alright. I'm pregnant."

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"Will we meet again, Narcissa?" Lucius muttered to himself, "I can feel something in the air… death perhaps. I pray that it's mine."

"She isn't listening; she's long past thinking about you."

Lucius spun around and scowled, "WHO ARE YOU?!" he snarled, but he knew very well who stood before him although denial tried to drive it from his heart.

"Something you have made." Draco said smoothly; his hair hung long and regal over his shoulders, and he was taller, but it was his son, "Well… eventually. Hello Father, how are you holding up without Mum? I hope solitary life is treating you well. I've been busy for a bit you know, getting married, producing sons, like you've always wanted; I'm rebuilding the Malfoys one heir at a time. Pansy serves her purpose well; sometimes striking her is necessary but she is easily directed."

"You cannot be here; you're not real."

"No indeed, I am not." Draco admitted, "As long as you keep away from that pathetic whining son of yours from now on I'll never come into existence. He'll never have sons or daughters; the Malfoy line will die with him. It's almost poetic, but you can end all of that; don't let Narcissa's pathetic request destroy his… _my_ one chance for glory. I will be the next Dark Lord, destroying all half-breeds, Mudbloods and those who support or accept them; I'll do what Voldemort could not and I will _destroy_ their filthy kind!"

"I would never break a promise to Narcissa, and if I must disown you to keep her promise, I'll do just that." Lucius said proudly, "Let it be my penance."

Draco laughed harshly, his grey eyes flashing with delight, "Another will rise if it is not me; don't you realize that? Wizards and witches will never rest as long as men like me exist… men with ambition and beliefs. Perhaps race will not be the next issue, but wouldn't you rather see a Muggle die than a wizard of, say, _color_. Even Purebloods may become a target!"

Lucius smiled, not at all unaccustomed to having visions of his past and future; his loneliness had driven him nearly mad, "Have I truly brought you up to be so blind, Draco?"

"Do not mistake fast-shut minds for fast-shut eyes, old man." Draco spat, "Let me go and I will be more of an embarrassment than you could ever imagine!"

"Your mother is dead; status only mattered because of her. I only cared about the sort of man I was for _her_. I will have my simple revenge, nothing more, so take your evil words and go back where you _came_ from." Lucius growled, sitting heavily on the ground.

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"How long?"

"Two days, three maybe." Lupin said, crossing his arms, "No longer than that, absolutely not."

"We'll be fine, Moony; we're locked up in here and you won't be able to hurt anyone this time. It won't be bad; I'll help you through it." Sirius promised.

"Thank you." Lupin said, pacing slowly to the other side of the cage and back again, "The waiting is the worst part; never thought I'd say this but I could use Severus' help right about now."

"I'm here." Sirius said, "It may not be much but at least I can say that I know what to do."

"Perhaps," Lupin sighed, "It's time to retry our initial plan."

Sirius looked at his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Moony-"

"I'm making the decision." Lupin said, tensing, "I'll have the final word; that's how it should be, how it _will_ be."

"I hope you're right, old friend." Sirius said, "Because I don't know how much more you can take."

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George stood when two Muggles entered the enclosure, "Here we go, Percy."

Percy looked up and stood quickly as well, "Easy." He said, "We don't want them catching on before it's time."

George patted Percy's arm before walking to Charlie, kneeling by his sniveling older brother and whispering in his ear, "Look there, Charlie; the Muggles have come for a visit."

Charlie's head shot up instantly and he saw the two men standing just in the entrance; they noticed the former catatonic with little interest. George grinned as Charlie rose to his feet and sprinted to where they were, "Charlie!" Molly cried from somewhere behind George.

"Percy _now_!" George shouted, and ran with his older brothers towards the Muggles.

Charlie and George were upon the first Muggle instantly and George wrestled the tranquilizer gun from him, tossing it away; Percy fought the gun from the second and they fell to the ground, "Get one of them!" Percy ordered George, "Quickly!"

George struggled to stand and run for one of the guns, but the Muggle he had been fighting grabbed his ankle and tripped him. The twin fell forward and struck his head on a rock, blacking out.

Charlie roared in anger and landed another blow to the Muggle man's face; blood already covered the raging boy's hands and the Muggle beneath him was losing the battle quickly. Percy was driven back by a kick to his stomach and he stumbled to his feet, turning just in time to see the Muggle he had let up pull a gun from his belt, "Charlie!" he cried desperately.

The Muggle fired a bullet into the back of Charlie's head and turned his aim to Percy; Arthur reached his boy just in time, pulling him to the side. The bullet grazed the edge of Percy's face and the feeling of hot steel exploded in his eye; Percy fell to the ground with a scream, taking Arthur with him. A soft thud behind them prompted Arthur to look up from his writhing son; Molly lay in the grass a mere yard away, her hand high on her chest, "Mollywobbles?"

Arthur was at her side in an instant, and saw the blood pooling beneath her hand, blood from her heart, "Arthur I think… I'm alright; go check on Percy."

"Molly." Arthur whispered as tears filled his eyes.

Molly looked down and lifted her hand, "I suppose I'm not alright." She said with a weak smile.

Arthur shook his head and pressed his own hand to the wound, "You'll be alright; I promise." He said, turning to the Muggle who had holstered his gun and was leaving the enclosure, "You there! We need help!"

The Muggle ignored Arthur, pulling his bloodied partner to his feet, "Get a body crew in here; tell them we have two." He said with a glance at Arthur.

"No!" Arthur said, "NO! YOU HAVE TO-"

"Arthur!" Molly whispered in a scolding tone, her face deathly pale as she took the first of her last breaths, "Don't."

Arthur shook his head, his voice cracking as he spoke, "Don't leave me, Molly, I can't lose you."

"Don't… be silly." Molly said as she began to fade away, "You… will be perfectly alright."

"I love you."

"I love you." She whispered; her breath was slow and shallow as she reached up and touched his face, "I love _all_ of you; take… take care of them, Arthur."

"I will." He said, leaning down and kissing her forehead, "I promise."

Molly's face took on a stricken look suddenly and she appeared shocked, "Arthur! Arthur, tell George-" Her words cut off instantly, her eyes going dull and her hand dropping back to her side.

"Molly…" Arthur whispered before sobs took over and he was unable to speak.

George groaned as he rolled onto his side, blood lacing down from a wound in the middle of his forehead that could cause a scar identical to that of his twin.

George looked away from Charlie's body sickly and stood, stumbling to his nearly hysterical brother, kneeling and forcing Percy's hand from his face. The twin instantly released his brother's arm as the wound was revealed; an explosion of blood covered half of Percy's face and his eye was impossible to make out, probably gone entirely. George's heart fell as he heard his father weeping, sobbing like a distraught child; it was a frightening sound that George had never heard, and he looked to see Arthur kneeling beside the body of his mother. George had no doubt from the way Arthur was crying that Molly was dead, "I'm sorry." He said, looking down at Percy; the pain had finally driven the boy to faint, "I'm so sorry."

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A/N: Ok so I know this one was long but it needed to be;; it was pretty fast paced so I hope everyone made it through. Feel free to comment; I enjoy them you know! Chapter 14 may take a bit longer but I will have it up by March 3rd at the absolute _latest_!


	14. Angelus Concido

"This is my fault." George muttered.

"Sort of." Percy agreed, touching the bandage over his eye, "But I should have told you no."

"I wouldn't have listened; I never listen to you." George said with a hint of bitterness, "I wish they never would have taken me away from Fred; what are we going to tell him or Ginny, or tell _Ron_?"

"I suppose hello would be first… then we'll have to tell them that… Charlie and Mum are gone." Percy said, "Perhaps Dad will be alright by then."

George looked over to where Arthur lay in the grass; the Muggles had put them all out to move the bodies, and Arthur still hadn't recovered, "I hope he wakes up soon."

"Me too." Percy whispered.

"Percy?" George asked.

"What?"

"Do you think Dad even notices that Charlie's dead?" George muttered, frowning harshly at the ground.

"Charlie's been gone for a long time, George; he saw what was coming and just... cleared out." Percy said quietly.

"He's lucky."

"Yeah, he is." Percy said, "He didn't have to see Dad like this."

"I should be with Fred; I _want_ to be with him."

"You will be." Percy said, "I swear."

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"This is a bad idea." Ron said.  
"Absolutely." Harry replied as they watched the Muggle walk past them cautiously, "The worst."

"Shall we?"

"NOW!" Harry shouted, leaping forward onto the Muggle and holding her down as she reached for her gun, "Get a rock, Ron!"

As Ron searched for something to knock the Muggle unconscious, Goyle ran into the laboratory with Draco behind him, "We're going to get ourselves killed." The blonde growled.

"Is that any worse than staying here forever?" Goyle said, landing a heavy punch to a weak-looking Muggle scientist.

Draco ducked beneath a tranquilizer dart just as Ron and Harry burst into the lab as well, "Bloody hell look at this place!" Ron exclaimed.

"Quick Draco, let your father out!" Harry called, tossing him the ring of keys they had lifted from the dispatched Muggle in the exhibit.

Draco nodded and followed the strange signs until he saw one clearly marked with the number one; he fumbled with the stolen keys and managed the right one after a few tries. He pulled the heavy door open and stumbled forward into the exhibit; Lucius was at his throat in a second, nearly lifting him from the ground before recognizing the boy, "Father." Draco choked out, "It's _me_!"

Lucius let go instantly and moved past Draco, rushing inside and pulling the Muggle off of Ron; Lucius snapped the man's neck and dropped his body onto the floor. Two more Muggles were approaching the group and Lucius prepared to fight, interrupted by a loud shouting, "Waddiwasi!"

The Muggles stumbled back as a fleet of gurneys levitated between them and the escapees; three wizards stepped into the laboratory, led by Cornelius Fudge, "We seem to be missing a few things, gentlemen; I believe _you_ have them." He said, crossing his arms.

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"The agreement was for half a dozen Wizards in exchange for the extermination of Voldemort; you've killed at _least_ that many and imprisoned countless others!"

"A _deal_?" Snape asked.

"Only for those suspected to support Lord Voldemort; _that_ was the deal and _therefore_-" Fudge began.

"You gave us over _willingly_ because we were _suspected_?!" Lucius demanded, "MY WIFE _DIED_ BECAUSE YOU SUSPECTED!?"

Draco collapsed against Goyle as his father's words echoed through the small room; Goyle whispered words of comfort to the blonde boy, holding him steady. Fudge was quiet for a moment before he turned to the group of Muggles and continued, "We will be returning to London with our people, and the ministry will gather all of its employees to perform the necessary memory spells."

"Mr. Fudge." The owner growled, standing, "We did what you asked; we destroyed your 'Dark Lord' _and_ many of his followers; we kept up our end of the bargain. It's far too late to go back on yours now."

Fudge muttered to his associates as the Wizards and Witches who had up until now been treated like animals, shot each other worried glances. Arthur was the only one not moved by the happenings, and as the others muttered and whispered, he stood, "I will stay; I don't care what they do with me."

The zoo owner grinned and Cornelius Fudge nodded solemnly, "You may keep this man, but you will _not_ parade him around in public. Whatever you do with him, it is to be secret; if you fail to keep your side of the deal again, you will not get another chance."

"I will-" Lucius started, standing as well.

Cornelius Fudge raised a hand to silence the man, "They will only have one wizard, and Arthur has volunteered; sit down, Mr. Malfoy."

"But I-"

"Sit _down_, Lucius. Are you certain about this, Arthur?" Fudge asked.

Percy stood and shook his head, "Dad you can't do this! Let them keep Lucius instead; you're a _good man_."

Arthur ignored his son as if he was simply not there, "I have nothing left."

The Muggle zoo owner nodded, seeing his chance to end things smoothly, "We will fly the remainder of your... _people_ home to London tomorrow; I insist upon putting them up somewhere nice for the night."

"Very well." Cornelius Fudge said, standing grandly, "Ladies and gentlemen, your wands will be replaced upon your arrival in London. We will discuss matters further once you arrive safely at the Ministry."

"Mr. Weasley if you'll just come with us." One of the Muggle doctors said, extending an arm.

Arthur nodded stiffly, ignoring his outraged children save for Ginny, whom he gave a firm pat on the shoulder as he passed, disappearing back into the laboratory.

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"We're just gonna leave him." Ron said.

"He wanted to stay... he wouldn't even look at us and besides," Percy said, "We'll get him back... we need to get home first. There's nothing we can do without magic."

"Of course not." George said bitterly as he stood, "I don't know if I can tie my shoes in the morning without my precious _wand_!"

The other Weasley children flinched as George slammed the door open and stalked out, Fred on his heels, "George what are you on about?" he asked as the door shut behind them.

George shook his head and crossed his arms, looking down both ends of the long hallway before speaking, "We might as well just go back to that zoo, Fred; we're nothing but animals without our all-powerful _magic_."

"You're wrong, George; we're more human than those... _things_ that put us there in the first place, and-"

"IT WAS THE MINISTRY THAT PUT US THERE!" George shouted, "Can't you _see_, Fred!? We were _sacrificed_!"

"The Ministry came and got us, George; we'd still be there if they hadn't, and you know that." Fred argued, "Let's go back-"

"I'm not going back in there." George said, falling silent as Ginny left the room and walked past them, "Where are you going?" he barked at her.

Ginny scowled at each twin in turn before hurrying off down the hallway and opening another door, "I hate to be a pessimist." Fred muttered, "But it appears that our little Weasley clan is falling apart."

"Let's go for a walk." George said, walking down the hallway towards the glowing exit sign with Fred at his side.

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Neville looked up as the door to his hotel room beeped quietly and opened; Ginny stepped in with a smile, "I'm here."

Neville turned and walked towards the bed to fetch his shirt; he jumped when she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his back, "Ginny."

Ginny let go as he turned around to face her, "What is it?" she asked.

Neville hurriedly pulled his sweater over his head and walked to the door; he opened it slowly, "Go back to your room, Ginny; you should be with your family."

"I don't want to be with them."

Neville let the door slam, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Your mother _died_, Ginny; your father isn't coming home! Why would you want to be in here with _me_ when your family is somewhere else?!"

Ginny frowned, "Neville _you're_ my family."

"Do you have any idea how they're all going to look at me when they find out?! I'm going to be a _predator_! I'm going to be the horrible boy who did this to you!"

Ginny smiled painfully and stepped toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I couldn't go back, Neville; I hated being treated like a boy. I want to be taken care of and... you can do that; I knew you could ever since-"

"Ever since what?" Neville interrupted, "You were... _using_ me?"

"Neville." Ginny said.

Neville walked to the door and yanked it open once again, staring at the floor in a struggle to avoid being intimidated, "I won't be used."

"It must be nice..." Ginny said, moving around him and shutting the door, leaning back against it, "I couldn't _say_ no when someone used me; I guess maybe I didn't make it out of the Chamber of Secrets as normal as everyone thinks and maybe I'm just a little _loony_."

"I'm sorry."

"I need you." Ginny whispered with a dull smile, pulling gently at the neck of his sweater.

Neville hesitated for a brief moment before pulling his sweater off and dropping it on the floor; Ginny leaned up and kissed him, ending their half-hearted argument.

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"I can't see why they didn't give us our own rooms." Tonks said apologetically, "I guess they didn't want to pay for more."

Snape's normal reaction would have been a roll of his eyes, but he forced that away and gave Tonks a thin and pathetic attempt at a smile, "I suppose not."

Snape walked to the window and pushed the curtains aside slightly to stare outside, to look anywhere but at her, "Severus?" she asked in a tone of voice that made him cringe, made him want to snap at her and force her to be silent.

"Yes?"

"What will you do when we get back?" she asked, feigning nonchalance.

"I will return to Hogwarts and join the faculty in selecting a new Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster." Snape said, "I will do my job."

"Forgetting all about me, I suppose."

"What do you expect me to do?" Snape asked, keeping his tone cold.

"I _expect _you to stop pretending that nothing happened. I kissed you, and Severus: you kissed me back!" she cried.

The words stung Snape, and it wasn't her anger, or the way she used his name as if scolding a child; it was the fact that she was right, and he couldn't deny it. Still, as long as there was any fight left in him, he would try, "That was then, Nymphadora; the past is nothing."

"No? This is coming from the man with the oldest grudge in the Wizarding World? Do you really regret what happened, Severus?"

_Yes, a thousand times yes_. Snape's mind told him to say, but he knew that if given the chance, he would repeat his actions again and again, "No I wouldn't say that."

"Because it's not true." Tonks said, "And you _do_ like me, enough to kiss me back at least."

Snape's chest tightened but he nodded slowly, "Yes."

"Then I want to be with you."

"You _are_ with-"

"I mean _after_ all of this, Severus." Tonks interrupted, "I mean back in London, at Hogwarts! I don't want this to go away just because you're frightened." A moment of awkward silence prompted her to continue, "Promise me; _swear_ to me that you won't do that. You won't abandon me just because you're afraid to open up. Make a vow."

"I'm not going to make an Unbreakable Vow over such a silly thing, and besides we haven't got our wands and no witness." Snape argued, crossing his arms.

"We don't need wands." Tonks said, walking over to the large desk at one side of the room and producing a letter opener, "We just need blood."

She dragged the dull blade against her palm and hissed quietly in pain as blood bubbled up from the shallow wound; she held the letter opener out to Snape, who looked mortified, "Have you lost your mind?"

Tonks waited silently until, after what must have been a violent inner-struggle, Snape grabbed the letter opener and sliced his palm open. Tonks reached and took his hand, pressing their palms together and mixing their blood, "Say it then."

Snape looked into her eyes for a moment before muttering, "I won't abandon you… for _any_ reason."

Tonks forced a look of happy surprise from her face and leaned forward for another kiss, satisfied with his promise.

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Snape stared out the window of the large Muggle flying contraption that he had come to loathe in only a very short while; Tonks was sitting in the seat beside him and grasped his bandaged hand with her own. Sirius and Lupin had been to busy mourning those lost and celebrating the final 'defeat' of the Muggles by the ministry to notice the new relationship; Snape was thankful for this if nothing else, for their teasing would make his promise a hard one to keep.

Neville Longbottom was sitting next to the Weasley girl looking fidgety and nervous. Snape could not stop a smirk as he imagined Neville falling through the air; the boy was so clumsy and bumbling he would probably open the wrong door and step out into the sky before even realizing his mistake. Ginny looked cross and was probably having the same thought as Snape that very moment. Snape had been deeply sorrowed by news of Narcissa's death, and imagined that Lucius would sit next to Draco to comfort the poor boy. Instead, Draco was sitting next to Gregory Goyle on the opposite side of the plane, tears flowing unchecked down his cheeks as his body shook with silent sobs; it only took Snape a second glance to see Draco grasping his friend's hand in a more than friendly matter.

What interested the Professor most, however, was the state of Harry Potter; he had remained brooding and silent, and had not spoken a word to either of his friends. Snape silently prayed that the Ministry would clear Sirius Black of his charges or overlook Lupin's condition lest they select Snape himself to be Harry's guardian. Not only did he not particularly enjoy the company of children, it would by far complicate his current situation with Tonks and only serve to turn Harry into a constant and sarcastic nuisance around Snape's living space. With such unpleasant thoughts in his head, and Tonks sleeping against his shoulder, Snape dozed off.

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Sirius stirred as his head fell from the comfortable shoulder it had rested on and hit the plane seat when Lupin stood and muttered something about stretching his legs; he grunted a sleepy reply and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, glancing out the window. Sirius blinked as the brightness of the full moon met his eyes; it was hauntingly beautiful, and for a moment he allowed himself to forget what that truly meant. Panic seized his heart when that moment was over, and he looked instantly to Lupin, who was staring out one of the visible windows, his eyes glazed over and his mouth hanging open. Sirius was at his side in a second, pressing his lips to his friend's ear and whispered with the utmost urgency, "Not here, old friend, you can't do this now; you have to fight it! Do you hear me, Remus?! We can't protect ourselves; you'll kill the _children_!"

Lupin closed his eyes and shook his head, "Can't." he muttered, hair starting to sprout on his face and spread down his neck.

"Remus, no." Sirius whispered, laying his hand on Lupin's shoulder as he turned around desperately, "SEVERUS!"

Snape jerked awake and was on his feet instantly, "What's the matter?"

Tonks grumbled sleepily beside him as she awoke with a yawn, "What's all the noise, then?"

Snape knew instantly what _all the noise_ was; Remus had fallen against Sirius, and was gripping the man's arm with such fierceness that beads of blood had begun to slip down and gather at Sirius' elbow, "Get everyone to the back of the... the uh... plane." Snape said rushing to Lupin and Sirius, "_Now_!"

Tonks, whom had hesitated at his instructions, snapped back to attention and jumped up from her seat, "Come on kids you heard the man, _back_!" she announced loudly.

The children that had been in various states of sleep all woke with a jolt at the sounds of shouting and followed Tonks' instructions while Lucius and Percy climbed over the seats to join Snape, "There's absolutely _nothing_ you can do with him?" Lucius growled, helping Sirius hold the rapidly changing werewolf against a wall of the plane.

"We could put him in the-" Percy started.

"Good idea!" Sirius interrupted, pulling open the nearest door and, with Lucius' help, shoving Lupin into the compartment without a glance and slamming the heavy door shut.

"I was going to say the loo." Percy said.

"Which is _that_ door." Tonks added, pointing.

"Oh what does it-" Lucius was interrupted when the plane suddenly lurched forward.

Snape was thrown back against the wall, Tonks and Sirius falling against him with two loud unpleasant thuds while Percy and Lucius were tossed against the door behind which a newly transformed werewolf prowled, and not alone, "GET INTO SEATS!" Snape shouted over the array of dangerous sounds the plane was making.

The children only hesitated for half a second before they scattered into seats and began fumbling with the complicated Muggle seatbelts; the plane gave another lurch and went almost completely vertical. Viktor tumbled forward, Hermione grabbing his arm just as he flipped over the row of seats before them, "VIKTOR HOLD ON!" she screeched as his grip on her arm slipped. His hand left an ugly friction burn down the inside of her arm that instantly began to weep blood. The Bulgarian managed to retain his grip on her arm and shove himself back into a seat just long enough for Hermione to reach forward around the seat and secure the seatbelt around his waist, "Thank you." He called back to her.

Suddenly the seemingly solid door that both Lucius and Percy were laying on grew hot and began to lace with cracks, "I think we may have made a mistake." Percy whispered to Lucius as the door suddenly gave, the entire nose of the plane detaching itself.

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A/N: Ok so I know you all think I want you to suffer by ending a story like this but in truth I don't. Also, just to clear things up: THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL. I've already began work on it and chapter 1 is two paragraphs long already. I'll be handwriting the remainder of Chapter 1 in Paris (Ah the romance). The sequel will be called The Island and it will be up as soon as I return from my vacation. I will either have chapter 1 up around March 12th or 13th, OR wait and put up a few chapters at once around the 20th. Until then I can't wait to get all your lovely reviews and PMs! I hope to see you all on The Island in a couple of weeks!


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